BANDED CANADA GOOSE, HUMBER BAY PARK EAST, TORONTO, ON

   This Canadian Goose was sighted at Humber Bay Park East (in parking lot and later elsewhere) has a band on its left leg and an auxiliary marker around its neck.  Will report it to the USGS Bird Banding Laboratory.

JUVENILE AMERICAN ROBIN, HUMBER BAY PARK EAST, TORONTO, ON

JUVENILE RING-BILLED GULL, PALMER PARK, PORT PERRY, ON

   The immature Ring-billed Gull and immature Herring Gull look very similar.  We were able to I.D. this as a Ring-billed Gull as follows:

• The gull was by itself, but very close to a flock of Ring-billed Gulls.  There were no adult Herring Gulls nearby as far as we could see.
• The bill looks more like a Ring-billed Gull's bill;  it is not as bulky as a Herring Gull's bill.

AMERICAN CROW, KLEINBERG, ON

   The birds call, "caaw, caaw, ......" helped to identify it as an American Crow.

WHITE ROCK DOVE, THE BEACHES, TORONTO, ON

   Sharon and I were sitting on a bench on Queen Street in The Beaches in Toronto when along came a flock of pigeons (Rock Doves).  Among them was an almost pure white dove.  This was probably an escaped or released dove.

   White Rock Doves are breed to their color and are used as release doves at ceremonial events.  They are also used as homing pigeons and as racing pigeons ( they don't have to be white).  In the past they have been used as carrier pigeons or messenger pigeons.

   Rock Doves have an inate homing abiliy; they will generally return to their nests and mate.  This has made it relatively easy to breed them to find their way home from long distances.

JUVENILE HOUSE SPARROW, PORT PERRY MARINA, PORT PERRY, ON

JUVENILE & ADULT BREEDING PLUMAGE BONAPARTE'S GULLS, NONQUON SEWERAGE TREATMENT LAGOONS, PORT PERRY, ON

   The two juvenile Bonaparte's Gulls are on the left and the two adults in breeding plumage are on the right.