Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Fall Migration, Part II

This is another of those 'No way this is in Toronto' birds, but it is, yes way. It's a Northern Shoveler male in breeding plumage. The large, flat beak is for straining food that it shovels up from the bottom (I bet you saw that coming). Shoveler couples are usually monogamous and in fact this fellow's wife or significant other was right near him. Sadly, I wasn't able to get a good shot of her.

Like with the Hooded Mergansers below, I saw this bird at Colonel Sam Smith Park. He and his squeeze won't be hanging around for long.