MA - Gill Bohemian Waxwings - 01/10

Bohemian Waxwing, near entrance to Northfield Mount Hermon School, Main Road, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. January 10th, 2011.

After dropping Matan at nursery school I decided to follow up a Greg Watkevich's report of a Bohemian Waxwing just up the road at the entrance to Northfield Mount Hermon School. My first drive by was unsuccessful but after turning around I noticed a few birds feeding on fruiting bushes by the road. The birds turned out to be starlings, but then I heard some waxwings, and before long I was listening to the bright ringing calls of Bohemian Waxwings, actually three or four birds mixed in with about 45 Cedar Waxwings. Both species moved back and forth across the road (Main Road, Gill) before moving deeper into the school campus, the Bohemians sometimes perching for prolonged spells right by the road.

Yet another avian treat in Gill and only a couple of miles up the road from our house. Closer to home, a Barred Owl was hunting from the fence posts by the sedge meadow at 05:45 in the morning.

Thanks very much to Greg for his report.


Bohemian Waxwing (lower right just above landing Cedar Waxwing) with Cedar Waxwings, near entrance to Northfield Mount Hermon School, Main Road, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. January 10th, 2011.