MA - Cackling Goose - 10/27

Nice to see last Friday's Cackling Goose continuing today at the Turner's Falls power canal. Saw the same bird yesterday as well with a handful of Canada Geese. Numbers of diving ducks remain quite small at Turner's with three Common Goldeneye, 2 Bufflehead and a Ruddy Duck continuing at the power canal today.

As usual, I didn't get a lot birding done over the weekend but a couple of notables included a male Eastern Towhee in our new yard in Northfield, and an apparent maxima Canada Goose in a stubble field off Route 5 in Bernardston.

 Cackling Goose (left most bird)  - typical example of hutchinsii (Richardson's), looking strikingly pale and small in the field among Canada Geese. 

Overall pallid, gray cast with broad, whitish fringes to upperpart feathers. Notably ''boxy' head shape with small bill and often appeared neckless. 
Turner's Falls power canal Franklin Co. MA. October 27th, 2014. 

 Cackling Goose (center)  - hutchinsii (Richardson's). Different day, different light. 

Same bird as above at the same location but photographed under completely overcast skies. Turner's Falls power canal Franklin Co. MA. October 26th, 2014. 

Canada Goose - showing characteristics of the maxima form (aka 'Giant' Canada Goose),  Bernardston, Franklin Co., MA. October 26th, 2014. 

Eastern Towhee (male) - West Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. October 26th, 2014. 
Getting late for this species in Western MA and the second consecutive day that it visited our new yard.