MA - closing out 2020

 

Black Vulture - one of two over Greenfield Community College, Franklin Co., MA. December 31st, 2020. 

The final days of the year closed out seasonably mild and relatively quiet. I say "relatively quiet" because the last day saw continued Red Crossbills and Common Redpolls in Gill, and a Pine Grosbeak at Barton Cove boat ramp, all reminders that the last two months of 2020 have been pretty exceptional! Single Golden-crowned Kinglet and Winter Wren were both on North Cross Road, Gill, on December 31st as well. 

The final surprise of the year came in the form of two Black Vultures soaring over Greenfield Community College furnishing my first December record of a species that's became somewhat regular in Franklin County over the last five years but proved to be exceptionally rare before that. January now becomes the only month of the year in which I haven't seen a Black Vulture locally. 

Ring-necked Duck (center) - with Common Goldeneyes, Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. December 28th, 2020. 

Lingering female present through to Dec 31st. 

Bufflehead (female) -  Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. December 28th, 2020. 

Lingering female present for some weeks at the power canal and occasionally joined by a second bird that often joins the goldeneye roost.

A female Ring-necked Duck at Barton Cove proved to be the only slightly unusual duck in the Turner's Falls area despite repeated efforts to relocate the Christmas Day Barrow's Goldeneye.