Thursday, December 6, 2018

MA - crossbills and other cool passerines in early December

Red Crossbill (male) - Montague Plains, Franklin County, MA. December 5th, 2018.
Identified as 'eastern' Type 10 after analysis of the sound recordings by Tim Spahr.

Passerines of interest this week included six Red Crossbills in the Montague Plains on Dec 5th, identified as 'eastern' Type 10 after analysis of sound recordings taken at the scene. The flock was skittish, mobile and difficult to pin down so I was quite happy to come away with a handful of shots and a decent recording. In the same area, a lose flock of some 15 - 20 Red-breasted Nuthatches was no less impressive. Evening Grosbeaks (1 - 3) flew over North Cross Road, Gill every morning during Dec 1st - 5th, with another 3 over Turner's Falls Airfield on Dec 5th. A wide scatter of wandering Snow Buntings with 25 on Upper Farms Road, Northfield on Nov 30th, 11 on River Road, Gill on Dec 2nd and a single (male) over North Cross Road, Gill on Dec 6th. Skulkers included a smart Winter Wren on Pine Meadow, Northfield on Nov 30th with two together in Northfield Meadows on Dec 7th, and another on North Cross Road, Gill on the 8th. Dawn Winkler and Harvey Allen found a late Gray Catbird at Bennett Meadow, Northfield on Dec 3rd, and a very late Common Yellowthroat showed up in Northfield Meadows on Dec 7th & 8th.

Red Crossbill (female) - Montague Plains, Franklin County, MA. December 5th, 2018.
Identified as 'eastern' Type 10 after analysis of the sound recordings by Tim Spahr.

Red Crossbill (male) - Montague Plains, Franklin County, MA. December 5th, 2018.
Identified as 'eastern' Type 10 after analysis of the sound recordings by Tim Spahr.

Red Crossbill (male) - Montague Plains, Franklin County, MA. December 5th, 2018.
Identified as 'eastern' Type 10 after analysis of the sound recordings by Tim Spahr.


Red-breasted Nuthatch - Montague Plains, Franklin County, MA. December 5th, 2018.


Red-breasted Nuthatch - Montague Plains, Franklin Co., MA. December 5th, 2018.


Winter Wren - Pine Meadow Road, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. November 30th, 2018.

Winter Wren - Pine Meadow Road, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. November 30th, 2018.

Gray Catbird - Bennett Meadow, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. December 3rd, 2018.
Image appears courtesy of Dawn Winkler.




Common Yellowthroat (first-winter male) - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. December 8th, 2018.










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