ICICLES IN APRIL, COLONEL SAMUEL SMITH PARK, TORONTO, ON

NESTING MUTE SWANS, COLONEL SAMUEL SMITH PARK, TORONTO, ON

   The Mute Swan in the nest was right beside the observation platform, so you could see the swan in the nest up close.  The male and female Mute Swans take turns sitting on the eggs.  We were told that not long before we got there they had switched and you could see the eggs.  The swan in the nest is probably the male, as its neck seems thicker than the swan in the water near it.

BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD, COLONEL SAMUEL SMITH PARK, TORONTO, ON

   This photo was taken at quite a long distance and then enlarged even further, so it is somewhat grainy.  However, we can see that it is a Brown-headed Cowbird, with its brown head and black body.

BROWN CREEPER, COLONEL SAMUEL SMITH PARK, TORONTO, ON

   Even though we can't see the front and face of this bird, we can identify it as a Brown Creeper as follows:

• Tiny size.
• Its habit of creeping up the trunk with its tail braced against the surface.  You can see this in the first photo.
• Slender bill.  You can make out the bill in the second photo.  Even though the bill is decurved, you can't see this in the photo because of the view from the back.
• Dark brown and white streaks on the upperparts.  This allows the Brown Creeper to easily blend in with the bark.
• Spine-tipped tail.  You can really see this in the first photo.
•  Single whitish wing-bar.  You can see this in the first photo.
• In the first photo you can make out some of the white flanks of the creeper, which is consistent with the underparts being white.

   The Brown Creeper is a new species to our Life List, which now stands at 282.

MALE BREEDING AMERICAN WIGEON, COLONEL SAMUEL SMITH PARK, TORONTO, ON

GREEN-WINGED TEAL, COLONEL SAMUEL SMITH PARK, TORONTO, ON

   This beautiful duck is a male Green-winged Teal in breeding plumage.  The breeding male is distinctive, with a rufous head, a green eye patch and a white vertical bar on the side of the breast.  You can also see the yellow rear end and the green with buff edge speculum.

FEMALE GREATER SCAUP, COLONEL SAMUEL SMITH PARK, TORONTO, ON

   We have identified this duck as a  female Greater Scaup in nonbreeding plumage, rather than a Lesser Scaup, as follows

• The rounded head and nape.  The Lesser Scaup has an oval head, a straighter neck and a notch or corner toward the back of the head.
• The scaup has a large amount of white on the face.  This is more indicative of a greater scaup.