Sightings for Thursday July 5

By the time I counted fifteen Bonaparte's Gulls in the Bay at Recre-O-Parc in Sainte-Catherine, a wading bird came to rest well away from shore. A Great Egret arrived, but quickly left. I seem to have before me a Snowy Egret, but viewing photos, doubt has finally settled.


Consulting my field guides, I noticed a few criteria for the Little Egret:
 
Closely resembles Snowy Egret, but often appears larger, with longer neck; longer, thicker bill and legs, the latter always enterely black; mostley grayish lores; and more extensive throat feathering out on lower mandibule. Little Egret's crown is flatter; feet are yellow, like Snowy, but slightly duller (National Geohraphic).

Little Egret has, on average, a longer and less tapered bill, feathering extending farther forward on chin and forehead (longer face), and more black on leg, but none of these characteristics are defenitive (Sibley).

It differs from the very similar Snowy Egret by its larger size; longer, heavier bill and thicker legs; usually slate gray lore (National Wildlife Federation)

Fairly long-necked, long-legged heron with a very long fine-pointed bill. Bill noticeably longer than depth of relatively small head (bill length about 1½ x head length). Similar Snowy Egret is shorter; has proportionately shorter neck, bill, ang legs and thinner-based bill; higher well-rounded crown; thinner legs; slightly slimmer overall.

In the end, is it an immature Snowy Egret or Little Egret nonbreeding?


I placed this link to seven photos and ''Plus older'' - Raymond Belhumeur http://www.flickr.com/photos/raymond-belhumeur/7509857488/in/photostream

Au moment où je dénombrais une quinzaine de Mouettes de Bonaparte, dans la baie du Récré-O-Parc à Sainte-Catherine, un échassier est venu se poser à bonne distance du rivage. Une Grande Aigrette est intervenue, rapidement, puis a quitté. J'avais l'impression d'avoir devant moi une Aigrette neigeuse, mais en visionnant les photos, le doute a fini par s'installer.



Consultant mes guides d'identification, j'ai noté quelques critères pour la garzette :
Au final, s'agit-il d'une Aigrette neigeuse immature ou d'une Aigrette garzette non nicheuse?


J'ai placé sur ce lien sept photos et faire ''Plus ancien'' - Raymond Belhumeur http://www.flickr.com/photos/raymond-belhumeur/7509857488/in/photostream