MA - Harlequin plus White-fronted and Cackling Geese

 

Harlequin Duck (first-winter male) and Ring-necked Duck (adult male) - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. March 11th, 2021. 

This Harlequin was first discovered by Anne Jemas on the Millers River, January 1st, 2021.

Yesterday's Greater White-fronted Geese offered a clear indication that waterfowl diversity is picking up locally. With that in mind I checked Barton Cove fairly early this morning hoping for the white-fronts and anything else that might have dropped in with the Canada Geese. On arrival at cove I was greeted with an obvious increase in waterfowl numbers, especially diving ducks with 27 Ring-necked Ducks, 8 Hooded and 5 Common Mergansers, a dozen Common Goldeneye and a male Harlequin Duck....What?!! After rubbing my eyes a couple of times, sure enough, there indeed was a Harlequin, undoubtedly the same immature male that had been wintering a few miles upstream on the Millers River. Despite multiple birders checking, myself included, the Harlequin hadn't been seen on the Millers River since February 5th with that particular sighting coming from Jeremiah Trimble. A cool five weeks later, and there it was off Riverview Drive, Gill consorting with a couple of Common Goldeneyes. It was flighty this morning and rarely settled for long, and I last saw it around noon. 

Harlequin Duck (first-winter male) - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. March 11th, 2021. 

Harlequin Duck (first-winter male) - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. March 11th, 2021. 

Harlequin Duck (first-winter male, left) - with Common Goldeneyes, Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. March 11th, 2021. 

Greater White-fronted Goose - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. March 11th, 2021. 

Greater White-fronted Goose - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. March 11th, 2021. 

Just right of center, taken from Unity Park, Turner's Falls.

Cackling Goose - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. March 11th, 2021. 

Bathing just in front of the American Black Duck. Taken from Unity Park.

Canada Geese - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. March 11th, 2021. 

Numbers increased again today with over 1000 feeding in Bernardston in the evening. 

Aside from the Harlequin, two Greater-fronted Geese did eventually show up at the cove in mid-morning. Oddly though, they were not associating with each other and things even got a little testy between them when they got too close. A quick check from Unity Park in mid-afternoon found only one Greater White-fronted Goose but with a wide scatter of reports from around the region in the last few days, I'm slightly hesitant to regard these and yesterday's birds as definitely relating to the same individuals. The two white-fronts yesterday did appear to be moving around together, quite different from the behavior of the two observed today. The afternoon search also turned up a Cackling Goose off Riverview Drive, my first of the season. 

Back at the Montague Plains, a thirty minute stop along Old Northfield Road rustled up a further 70 Red Crossbills and my first Fox Sparrow of the year giving bursts of song among the stands of young Pitch Pines.