MA - Northern Shrike in Gill

Northern Shrike - immature, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. November 22nd, 2016. 

November just keeps on producing good birds in Gill/Turner's Falls. This morning, after dropping Matan at school, I found a fast moving Northern Shrike heading south along the banks of the Connecticut River. Initially, I picked it up in flight some distance to the north but it worked its way toward me and thankfully teed up in front of me, albeit briefly. It was another brownish immature, similar to last week's bird in Rockingham, Vermont. Otherwise, a scatter of Evening Grosbeaks, all singles in flight, though the previous day I did see a party of twelve or so shortly after first light.

 Northern Shrike - immature, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. November 22nd, 2016. 

Evening Grosbeaks - Gill, Franklin Co., MA. November 21st, 2016.  Six birds from a party on twelve.

Eastern Bluebird - male, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. November 22nd, 2016.  

American Tree Sparrow - Gill, Franklin Co., MA. November 22nd, 2016. 

Good numbers along the fields and hedgerows of Gill at the moment. 

At Turner's Falls an American Wigeon (female) and a Lesser Black-backed Gull were new arrivals, the latter being my first of the fall/winter season and probably one of the returning wintering adults.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (rear) - adult, Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. November 22nd, 2016.