SANDHILL CRANE, ONION FIELDS, LEAMINGTON, OH

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, HILLMAN MARSH CONSERVATION AREA, LEAMINGTON, ON

   The first photo is of a male Red-winged Blackbird and the second photo is of a female.  The last two photos are of a flock of Red-winged Blackbirds foraging on the ground.  They seem to be mostly males.

MUTE SWAN, HILLMAN MARSH CONSERVATION AREA, LEAMINGTON, ON

CANADA GEESE & RED-NECKED DUCKS, POINT PELEE NATIONAL PARK, LEAMINGTON, ON

BUFFLEHEADS, POINT PELEE NATIONAL PARK, LEAMINGTON, ON

   The male Bufflehead is shown in the first two photos and females in the last photo.  The male Bufflehead is vert distinctive - the whole back of the head is white and its flanks and underparts are white.  The female has a distinctive oval white patch on the cheek.

RING-NECKED DUCKS, POINT PELEE NATIONAL PARK, LEAMINGTON, ON

    The male Ring-neck Duck is on left and female on the right in the first two photos.  The female is on the left and the male on the right in the last two photos.  The male Ring-necked Duck can be identified by the white "spur" on side, the red eyes, the black back and gray flanks and the white outline at the base of the bill.  The female can be identified by its white eye-ring and the faint outline at the base of the bill.

MOLTING HORNED GREBE, POINT PELEE NATIONAL PARK, LEAMINGTON, ON

   During molting from winter white-throated nonbreeding plumage to summer dark-throated breeding plumage of the Horned Grebe it can look very similar to the winter Eared Grebe.  This occurs around this time of year in March and April.  We can ID this grebe as a Horned Grebe by the white tip on its bill; the Eared Grebe does not have the white tip.

   You can see the following taking place in the molting process:

• A patch of red has extended from the red eye to the bill.
• The cheek has turned from white to dark; eventually it will turn black
• The area behind the eye to the back of the head has turned from white to rufous; eventually it will turn yellowish orange.
• The neck is starting to turn rufous.