After a balmy wet Christmas Day, the next day was pretty much business as usual with temperatures barely above freezing all day in combination with a raw North-westerly wind. But driving the streets of Greenfield and Turner's Falls did produce Pine Grosbeaks, lots of them! Sixteen were still present at a well reported site on Federal Street in Greenfield, actually right outside the local MacDonald's. Turner's Falls had three on L Street and a further nine on 3rd street, just west of the Avenue A intersection. And today (Dec 27th), a further five Pine Grosbeaks flew along the powerline cut through Highland Park in Greenfield. I must say it's an absolute treat to have these birds around, and even better to be able to find them so easily. We haven't seen numbers like this since the winter of 2007/08 and the consensus appears to be that the current influx is bigger and more widespread than the event of 12 years prior. One big difference between the two incursions seems to be adult males or rather the lack of them in the current incursion, and I still await my first!
Water levels on the Connecticut River have remained extremely high since the Christmas Day thaw but the Barrow's Goldeneye seen in Turner's Falls that day appears to have moved on. Several checks of the power canal roost have not produced the goldeneye numbers seen that morning, especially the seemingly high numbers of first-winters males. Having been optimistic that the Barrow's might show up again, I'm now getting the distinct impression that it was perhaps just a one day wonder. On the other hand, checking for the Barrow's did produce an unseasonable Green-winged Teal at the power canal on the 27th and a female American Wigeon at Barton Cove, Gill the previous day.
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