This afternoon I had a quick drive down to Turner's Falls. It was my first visit since late January and, being fresh back from Arizona, I wasn't really sure what to expect. I anticipated cold but the ice cover was more than impressive with Barton Cove almost completely iced over other than a tiny fraction of open water near the fish ladder at Unity Park. Less expected was the virtual complete ice cover at the power canal. Only last month I'd been watching hundreds of goldeneyes and mergansers flying into roost on the now completely frozen stretch of power canal. Birds were few, but it was still great to see a beautiful adult
Kumlien's Iceland Gull careening above the power canal when so few other gulls were present. I also reminded myself that this week back in 2009 produced a
Slaty-backed Gull, my one and only record in Franklin County. That bird was often among 700 or so large gulls at Barton Cove, the sort of numbers that seemed very distant today.
Kumlien's Iceland Gull - adult, Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. February 23rd, 2015.
Slaty-backed Gull (center) - third-cycle, Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. February 23rd, 2009.
Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. February 23rd, 2015.
Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. February 23rd, 2015.
Looking toward Barton Cove from Unity Park, Franklin Co., MA. February 23rd, 2015.
Looking toward Turner's Falls bridge from Unity Park, Franklin Co., MA. February 23rd, 2015.
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