MA - Turner's gulls and waterfowl - 02/23

Finally back on home turf after a long spell in the SW. I spent a couple of hours in late afternoon on the Turner's Falls power canal and Barton Cove. Being late February my expectations were not high, but it was nice to find reasonable diversity among gulls and ducks. The gulls came into Barton Cove especially late in the day making it difficult to do anything meaningful with images and, to some extent, identification. But, by the end of the afternoon, I tallied over 600 gulls of six species including 6 Kumlien's (all 1st and 2nd cycle), 1 Glaucous (1st cycle) and 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull (adult).

Regarding waterfowl, the nicest surprise was the presence of Greater Scaups on both the power canal (8) and Barton Cove (2), along with 3 drake Bufflehead, a drake Ring-necked Duck and a Lesser Scaup (all at Barton Cove). Common Mergansers seemed to be plentiful at Barton Cove too.

Kumlien's Gulls - 2nd-cycles, Turner's Falls and Barton Cove, Franklin Co., MA.

February 23rd, 2014.

Glaucous Gull (rear) - 1st-cycle, Barton Cove, Franklin Co., MA.

February 23rd, 2014.

Lesser Black-backed Gull - adult, Barton Cove, Franklin Co., MA.

February 23rd, 2014.

Lesser Scaup - female, Barton Cove, Franklin Co., MA.

February 23rd, 2014.

Greater Scaup - group of 8, Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA.

February 23rd, 2014.