MA - recents - 11/12

November 12th.....most definitely the coldest day of the fall thus far. Light snow showers around dawn and a brutal north-western wind all day resulting in a small fall-out of Bufflehead to Barton Cove (one raft of 56!) and Turner's Falls (14 on the power canal). And yet I didn't record any at all on my rounds the previous day. With them came 3 Lesser Scaup, 3 Ring-necked Ducks, 8 Green-winged Teal and 2 Long-tailed Ducks. The power canal continued to host an American Coot and a drake Gadwall, where the previous day I saw 10 Gadwall (one flock of nine) and 5 Hermit Thrushes together (under the powerline). Both of the latter struck me as high totals and the Gadwalls in particular could be the most I've ever seen at one location in Franklin County.

Buffleheads - Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA.

November 12th, 2013.


 

Buffleheads - part of a raft of 56 birds with two Long-tailed Ducks (center-left)

Barton Cove, Franklin Co., MA.November 12th, 2013.

 



 Fox Sparrow - Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. November 8th, 2013.

One of up to five continuing to grace our yard.



Fox Sparrow - Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. November 12th, 2013.
This particular bird is quite a bit grayer than the other four present.

 Fox Sparrows - four together (top, extreme left, lower left and far right),
Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. November 8th, 2013.

 

 



Barred Owl - Gill, Franklin Co., MA. November 9th, 2013.

 

The (local) gull numbers have been very slow to build so far this fall but it seems like this last weekend brought the first significant change in diversity when Brian Kane informed me of two first year Kumlien's Gulls with the Ring-billed Gulls at Unity Park. Present each day since, they already seem accustomed to their new surroundings and readily take bread from the folks coming to feed the ducks and geese. They're quite possibly the most approachable Kumlein's Gulls I've seen......anywhere!

 

Kumlien's Gull - Unity Park, Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA.

November 12th, 2013.