MA - local Black-crowned Night Heron

 Black-crowned Night -Heron (immature) - Deerfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. August 28th, 2018.

Typically, I wouldn't be too interested in chasing a Black-crowned Night Heron but when Scott Surner found an immature in Deerfield Meadows on August 25th I became distinctly edgy. This particular species has, in my experience, been incredibly difficult to find in Franklin County with my only other observation coming from Unity Park, Turner's Falls on November 1st 2005. Fortunately, the Night-Heron was courteous enough to stick around until we returned from a family holiday on Cape Cod and was last seen on August 29th. 

Great Egrets continued to be seen throughout August peaking at around eight birds early in the month. They were most obvious at the Turner's Falls power canal but also regular at Barton Cove, the Turner's Falls Rod and Gun club, and downstream towards Montague and Deerfield. 

Great Egret - Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. August 28th, 2018.

Waterfowl diversity picked up slightly towards the end of August with two to three Blue-winged Teal at Barton Cove, Gill on the 29th and a Green-winged Teal with the Mallards at Turner's Falls power canal on the 31st. Aaron Hulsey also recorded a Semi-palmated Plover at Unity Park, Turner's Falls on the 29th but overall, the shorebird migration was fairly slow in August. 

Green-winged Teal - Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. August 31st, 2018.