BROAD-WINGED HAWK IN CAPTIVITY, COLONEL SAMUEL SMITH PARK, TORONTO, ON

   This female Broad-winged Hawk was on exhibit at the Spring Bird Festival at Colonel Samuel Smith Park.  It is 18 years old and has been in captivity for quite awhile.   This was a rescued bird and because of its physical condition (e.g., it is missing some talons) it cannot be released into the wild.

FLOCK OF WHIMBRELS IN FLIGHT, WHIMBREL POINT, COLONEL SAMUEL SMITH PARK, TORONTO, ON

   We can ID these birds as Whimbrels by their long downcurved bills, their relatively narrow, pointed wings, dark wing tips and dark area on the leading edge of their wings.  This flock of Whimbrels had 25 -30 birds.  The Whimbrels are migrating to the Arctic..

SAVANNAH SPARROW, COLONEL SAMUEL SMITH PARK, TORONTO, ON

      We can ID this sparrow as a Savannah Sparroe by its notched tail (see second photo), yellow lores (see second photo) and boldly streaked back.

BALTIMORE ORIOLE NEST, COLONEL SAMUEL SMITH PARK, TORONTO, ON

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

   The male Brown-headed Cowbird is on the left and the famale on the right.

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, COLONEL SAMUEL SMITH PARK, TORONTO, ON

RED-NECKED GREBES, THEIR NEST & THEIR EGGS, COLONEL SAMUEL SMITH PARK, TORONTO, ON

   The Red-necked Grebes nest on floating platforms provided by the park.  They seem to love them for nesting.  In the third and fourth photos you can see the eggs, because the grebe has gotten up from sitting on the eggs and is turning them with its beak.  This is done so the eggs incubate evenly.