A mid-morning walk around Cabot Camp along the Millers River failed to produce the Harlequin Duck that apparently showed well to the many visiting birders the previous day (Jan 3rd). As it happens I did hear a second hand report that a Cooper's Hawk had been seen pursuing the Harlequin and forced it out of the Millers River and into the larger, wider Connecticut River! Either way, the Harlequin proved to be a no show but the walk along the Millers River was extremely pleasant not only revealing an Evening Grosbeak but also an Eastern Phoebe, presumably the same bird that I first heard calling there on Jan 2nd but neglected to follow up. The phoebe showed well this morning and, although I've late phoebes in November and December in past years, I'm pretty sure this particular bird furnishes my first January record for Franklin County.
In late morning I spent time with a close, cooperative flock of Common Redpolls in Turner's Falls and then made a point to swing by Barton Cove on my way home where I was greeted by the sight of multiple birders avidly scoping the open water from Riverview Drive in Gill. They'd relocated the Harlequin which had evidently moved downstream to share the relatively calm waters with Common Goldeneyes, Hooded Mergansers and the continuing female Ring-necked Duck. As if that wasn't enough, at least ten Red Crossbills fed and called from a tall White Pine right along Riverview Drive!
Late afternoon found the Harlequin still present though distant and actually best viewed from Unity Park plus a nice aggregation of gulls viewed from the same spot that included my first local Iceland Gull (a first-winter) in about three weeks. The last two evenings have also seen up to 85 Common Goldeneyes dropping in to roost at the Turner's Falls power canal and with them the continuing first-winter male Barrow's Goldeneye, and the female Bufflehead.
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