Barred Owl - Main Road, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. November 24th, 2018.
Finally a chance to catch up on some blog notes after a busy, but very lovely Thanksgiving Break. An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull showed up at Unity Park on the 21st and was present area in the Turner's Falls everyday after that. It looked very much like the returning winter adult that I've documented in Turner's Falls for at least the previous five winters.
Lesser Black-backed Gull (adult) - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. November 21st, 2018.
Lesser Black-backed Gull (right) - with Herring Gulls, Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. November 21st, 2018.
Lesser Black-backed Gull (center) - with Herring Gulls, Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. November 24th, 2018.
Iceland Gull (second-cycle) - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. November 21st, 2018.
Great Black-backed Gulls (adults) - with a couple of Herring Gulls, Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. November 21st, 2018.
Waterbirds of note included a Common Loon at Turner's Falls Rod and Gun club throughout the period after initially arriving during the big waterbird fall-out on the 20th. The long staying female Surf Scoter was still present at Barton Cove on the 21st, a female American Wigeon was with Mallards at the Turner's Falls power canal on the 22nd and two Ruddy Ducks (first-winters) were at Barton Cove, Gill on the 26th. Perhaps more surprising was a late Double-crested Cormorant at Unity Park on 23rd, certainly one of the latest that that I've come across in Franklin County. The annual late autumn gathering of Hooded Mergansers at Barton Cove continued to be a feature but never really built up to the impressive show that we saw last year in late November with numbers remaining steady at around 65 birds for the area.
Hooded Mergansers - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. November 19th, 2018.
Hooded Mergansers - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. November 24th, 2018.
Ruddy Ducks (first-winter) - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. November 26th, 2018.
Ruddy Ducks (first-winter) - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. November 26th, 2018.
Bufflehead - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. November 24th, 2018. Long staying, slightly injured female.
Double-crested Cormorant - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. November 23rd, 2018.
Some 1200 Canada Geese gathered at the Turner's Falls power canal on the 26th, the largest single concentration that I've seen this fall. The flock contained at least two Cackling Geese but unfortunately time constraints prevented me from finding a few more birds of interest though I would have loved to have stayed a bit longer!
Cackling Goose (center) - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. November 26th, 2018.
Cackling Goose (right) - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. November 26th, 2018.
Cackling Goose (left) - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. November 26th, 2018.
The wave of irruptive finches passing through northern Franklin County most certainly tapered during the Thanksgiving period with very few Purple Finches and Pine Siskins, though I did have a very vocal Evening Grosbeak on North Cross Road, Gill on 23rd. On the plus side, Snow Bunting numbers increased with up to 50 at Northfield Meadows (on the 26th), 7 at Turner's Falls Airfield (on the 26th) and 4 at Caldwell Road fields, Northfield on several dates where a Lapland Longspur joined a small flock of Horned Larks on the 22nd.
Snow Buntings, Caldwell Road, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. November 23rd, 2018.
Lapland Longspur - Caldwell Road, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. November 22nd, 2018.
Lapland Longspur - Caldwell Road, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. November 22nd, 2018.
Snow Buntings - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. November 26th, 2018.
Snow Buntings - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. November 26th, 2018.
The passerine highlight of the period was arguably a very late Common Yellowthroat unearthed by Josh Layfield in Northfield Meadows on the 24th - I know of only one report later than that for Franklin County. Josh also had around 35 Snow Buntings in Northfield Meadows on the same day.
Common Yellowthroat - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. November 24th, 2018.
Image appears courtesy of Josh Layfield.
And, in keeping with other roadside reports from around northern Franklin County, I had a nice daytime encounter with a Barred Owl in Gill on the 24th.
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