MA - November fourth week

Winter Wren - North Cross Road, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. November 23rd, 2017. 

The last week of the month had a handful of surprises in store while other species showed consistently in the same areas with Hooded Mergansers present daily at Barton Cove, Gill and reaching triple digits on Nov 28th (110)! Indeed Barton Cove proved to be something of a 'sweet spot' with a Northern Shrike rather briefly on the 26th, four White-winged Scoters on the 27th and a Winter Wren on the 29th. Good numbers of Winter Wrens continued along North Cross Road, Gill with a minimum of five staging there though I'm expecting them to move on when the freeze starts in earnest. 

Winter Wren - Barton cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. November 28th, 2017. 

White-winged Scoters - Barton cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. November 27th, 2017. 

The Turner's Falls power canal has seen a continual build up of wintering waterfowl as birds fly into roost in the evenings. Numbers vary day by day but upwards of 1100 Canada Geese, 110 Common Mergansers, 75 Common Goldeneye and 175 Mallard have been resting on the canal in late evening, and two Green-winged Teal showed up there on the 30th.

Common Mergansers - some of the 98 birds counted at the Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. November 28th, 2017. 

Numbers of large gulls remained relatively stable with the only obvious new arrival being an Iceland Gull on the 28th. 

Iceland Gull (kumlieni) - first-cycle, Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. November 28th, 2017. 

On the 28th I also had a brief view of an Oregon 'type' Junco at Gate 35 in the Quabbin watershed. I say Oregon 'type' because, while clearly hooded, the views were so poor that I couldn't rule out the hybrid form Cassiar Junco (J.h.cismontanus) which I have seen two or three times before in the Pioneer Valley. Away from feeders, viewing juncos well enough to see detail is pretty difficult in our area and I'm afraid that I'll have to let this one go. 

Oregon/Cassiar Junco - North Quabbin (Gate 35), Franklin Co., MA. November 28th, 2017.

Seen only very briefly but certainly appeared 'hooded' with light orange-buff flanks. 

The 28th also produced a 'new' site for Northern Saw-whet Owls in Gill when I had three birds calling at a spot that I'd previously scouted in daylight. I had a wonderful evening with three very vocal saw-whets though only had brief views of one. November also continued to produce an above average number of encounters with Eastern Screech-Owls in the Turner's Falls area.

Eastern Screech-Owl - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. November 30th, 2017.

Ring-necked Ducks (2) and Lesser Scaup (3) - Barton cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. November 27th, 2017. 

Mute Swans - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. November 28th, 2017. 

Peregrines - sparring at the Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. November 17th, 2017. 

Carolina Wren- Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. November 27th, 2017. 

Hermit Thrush - Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. November 12th, 2017. 

MA - Cassiar Junco, Barrow's Goldeneye

Today's freezing rain curtailed any thoughts of late afternoon birding at Turner's Falls. Before the rain really started in earnest, I went out in mid-morning hoping to find a few Horned Larks in Northfield. I found no larks in the spot that I was hoping for but instead found three Dark-eyed Juncos, one of which had a distinct (convex) hooded appearance with a relatively clean demarcation between the 'bib' and flanks. The flanks of this bird were also much paler than the other two male Slate-coloreds that it was feeding with. It looked much as I'd expect a Cassiar Junco ((Junco hyemalis cismontanus) to look like and the first time I've seen a male in Massachusetts. Cassiar Junco is a much discussed intergrade form (between Slate-colored and Oregon Juncos) originating from the northern Rockies.

 Cassiar Junco (right) - male with typical Slate-colored Junco, Caldwell Road, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. January 18th, 2014. 
Distinctly hooded appearance but otherwise paler especially on the flanks. 

 Cassiar Junco (rear) - male with typical Slate-colored Juncos, Caldwell Road, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. January 18th, 2014. 
Distinctly hooded appearance but again much paler especially on the flanks. 

 Cassiar Junco (rear) - male with typical Slate-colored Juncos, Caldwell Road, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. January 18th, 2014. 

Saturday evening saw a few of us gather at the Turner's Falls power canal in frigid condition. Cold it may have been but it was well worth it as a spectacular roost of Common Goldeneyes eventually built up to over 380 birds! That's the most I've ever seen in one gathering anywhere in the Pioneer Valley and what's more, birds were still coming in when we left well after sunset. The spectacle almost overshadowed the continued appearance of the fine male Barrow's Goldeneye. The gull show was cut short by Bald Eagle activity once more, but the Lesser Black-backed Gull showed well and seems to be pretty reliable at the moment.

 Lesser Black-backed Gull - adult, Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co. MA. January 17th, 2014.

Barrow's Goldeneye (center) - adult male, Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co. MA. January 17th, 2014.