Recently I was up at Ipperwash Beach to try and photograph an Eared Grebe however waves, distance and way too brief appearances made for difficulty getting an image. However, my attention soon turned to a couple of Bonaparte’s Gulls actively fishing close to shore.
Bonaparte’s Gull is a small, tern like gull, with slender bill, rather narrow, pointed wings, and slim body.
Breeding adults have black heads, red legs, and large white triangles in the wingtips that contrast with the gray wings. Nonbreeding birds are mostly white with grayish upper wings, white primaries (edged in black), and a gray spot on the cheek. Immatures are similar to nonbreeding adults but upper wing is edged in dark gray, and the tail is tipped in black.
Numerous aquatic habitats during migration and the nonbreeding season, from rivers to lakes, bays to open ocean. Breeding birds in the far north nest in trees and forage over taiga forest, tundra, and open waters of rivers, lakes, and bays. Cornell All About Birds
White-winged Crossbills remain in flocks year-round, even during the nesting season. They forage mostly in spruce and tamarack, prying open the cones with their crossed bills to eat the seeds.
Male White-winged Crossbill
They also take grit from the ground and eat insects during summer. In years when spruce and other cones are scarce, large numbers irrupt, or wander far out of the usual range.
Female White-winged Crossbill
Found in Boreal forests, mostly spruce and tamarack. During irruptions, look for them in spruces, hemlock forests, weedy fields, and occasionally at backyard bird feeders. Cornell All About Birds
Immature White-winged Crossbill
Some images of Horned Grebes gathering in Lake Huron. Some days there have been close to thirty along the Lake Huron shoreline near Canatara Beach.
