MOLTING MALE SCARLET TANAGER, BEAMER MEMORIAL CONSERVATION AREA, GRIMSBY, ON

   On the way to Niagara Falls today, we stopped off at Beamer Memorial Conservation Area in Grimsby.  Yoy get a great view of Lake Ontario and the surrounding area.  On the way out we sighted this Scarlet Tanager, which is molting.  Normally the male's breeding plumage is bright scarlet and nonbreeding plumage is yellow.  Here you see a mixture of both.  August is the normal month for this transformation to take place.

   This is a new species for our Life List, which now stands at 144

SQUIRREL EATING SUNFLOWER SEEDS, LYNDE SHORES CONSERVATION AREA, WHITBY, ON

JUVENILE MUTE SWAN ABOUT TO TAKE OFF, CRANBERRY MARSH, LYNDE SHORES CONSERVATION AREA, WHITBY, ON

   The juvenile Mute Swan can be white or gray-brown, such as this one.

LESSER YELLOWLEGS, CRANBERRY MARSH, LYNDE SHORES CONSERVATION AREA, WHITBY, ON

   This Yellowlegs can be identified as a Lesser Yellowlegs by the size of its bill compared to the size of its head.  In a Lesser Yellowlegs the bill's length is about the same size as the width of its head, while in a Greater Yellowlegs it is about 1 1/2 x the size.

EASTERN KINGBIRD SPREADING ITS WINGS TO TAKEOFF, CRANBERRY MARSH, LYNDE SHORES CONSERVATION AREA, WHITBY, ON

GREAT EGRET & WOOD DUCK, CRANBERRY MARSH, LYNDE SHORES CONSERVATION AREA, WHITBY, ON

   Thought this was a nice photo, the juxtaposition of the Great Egret ans Wood Duck.  The Wood Duck has some of its breeding plumage, but not all.

BLUE JAY EYEING SUNFLOWER SEEDS, LYNDE SHORES CONSERVATION AREA, WHITBY, ON

   At one of the overlooks at Cranberry Marsh, two women had laid out sunflower seeds for birds ( you are allowed to feed song birds, but no other birds or wildlife).  This Blue Jay eyed the seeds and area for quite a while and flew away and came back, but finally decided to get them.