MA - Cacklers continue 11/05

Good numbers of Canada Geese on the Turner's Falls power canal with multiple flocks arriving in late morning. Among them, two Cackling Geese both of which looked like continuing birds from last week. Fortunately I was able to pick them out on call as they flew in at around 11:20 hours, but once they landed I lost touch with them and it took me another 20 minutes of searching to relocate them. It's not at all easy picking out Cacklers from 700 swimming and bathing Canada Geese!

This morning I wanted to do at least 10 miles on my bike and chose a route from Turner's Falls to East Deerfield. I was surprised to stumble across three Winter Wrens on this stretch of bike path, two of them on the Montague side of the Connecticut River and another on the East Deerfield side.

Aside from scads of Dark-eyed Juncos seemingly on every corner and road side, raptors featured this morning with a nice adult Peregrine teed up on a snag usually occupied by a Red-tailed Hawk at Upinngil Farm, and two Northern Harriers migrated through Turner's Falls just before noon.

 Cackling Goose (center) - presumed continuing bird from October 24th. Plumage seemingly lacking in brown tones of surrounding Canadas giving a cold-toned, 
frosty field appearance. Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. November 5th, 2014.

Northern Harrier - fem/imm, Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. November 5th, 2014. 

One of two migrating together high over the power canal. 

 Bike Path at East Deerfield, Franklin Co., MA. November 5th, 2014. 

Not only a lovely place for an autumnal bike ride but apparently good habitat for Winter Wrens as well!