The Birds of This Week

I've been around to a lot of random spots lately looking for birds and thought I would post a few of the more interesting photos I've snapped.  

I was up in Luther Marsh with Ken on Sunday and we had a great time spotting waterfowl, sandhill cranes, raptors and various other migrants.  We also got up close views of these 3 trumpeter swans!

One of North America's largest birds, the trumpeter swan is HUGE and much larger than the more common tundra swan!

This morning I was able to hit up some spots near a work site in the Durham area.  Some of the highlights were numerous little gulls in full breeding plumage at Oshawa's Second Marsh as well as 6 greater white-fronted geese and a cackling goose!  For those of you who don't know, the cackling goose looks like a shrunken Canada goose, and in fact used to be considered the same species.  Recently it was determined to be a distinct species and was split from the Canada goose.  This sub-species of cackling goose is called the Richardson's cackling goose.  Note the stubby neck, short bill, overall small size and the thin white collar on the neck right below the black.

The diminutive cackling goose! 

Compare the cackling goose on the right to the Canada goose on the left

Thickson's Woods at the Whitby lakeshore.  

The resident Great Horned Owl was actively grooming himself and hooting in broad daylight

Northern Mockingbird in Whitby

Can't get enough of these birds!

Anyways, that's all for now!