old stuff

Editors note: I wrote this a few days ago, but given all the rarities and birding news, I figured I'd just post it now and move onto bigger and better things tomorrow. ! Including my photo collection of the Cormorant and rarity news.

So yeah, stuff from last week:

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Learn how to ID birds better:

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It's that time of year again where I start looking at crows more closely. I know many a birder who has Fish Crow on their Ontario list, but I'm not one.

Ever since a groundbreaking ID feature was identified for American vs. Fish Crow, I've been trying to photograph as many as possible, to try and use the finger-feather formula to make an ID:


http://www.aba.org/photoquiz/quizans75.html


The skinny:

The length of the 5th and 6th primaries (compared to each other) is dramatically different between the two species!

Amazing stuff! Feel free to give it a try on this crow recently photographed in Ontario:

ha... It's actually more than just a bad joke. Most "late migrant" crows i've photographed around Pelee and elsewhere in April and May have TERRIBLE looking flight feathers. They must be year old birds (retained Juvenile feathers) and in desperate need of molt!

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Rarity News:   I'm getting remarkably good at finding Swan Geese in Ontario:

Are there really more Swan Geese in Ontario today than 2 years ago? Or have I just finally learned how to "pick them out" from the masses?

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Odd American Black Duck x Mallard Hybrid.... Just a record shot of a bird a few days ago that had a strange head pattern (green all the way around the head, but a brown circle in the centre). 

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Bad weather grounds migrants! This Great Egret was looking out of place in a farmers field during some of the terrible cold weather we've been experiencing over the last few days. 

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I had to do something with these bad photos that I took! ;)