MA - March in Franklin County; non-passerines

Tundra Swan - from a flock of 19, Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. March 11th, 2019.

Image appears courtesy of Josh Layfield. 

A fine drake Canvasback showed up at the Turner's Falls power canal on the 3rd (Scott Surner) and remained until the 7th at least. It turned out to be the harbinger of a steady but varied waterfowl migration through the Turner's Falls area and Franklin County in general, a migration spearheaded by the sudden and dramatic appearance of 19 Tundra Swans at the power canal on the 11th (Alex Haro/Josh Layfield). The swans were courteous enough to remain through the 12th allowing tens of birders to catch up with an impressive state rarity. The middle of the month saw Canada Goose numbers swell considerably with impressive four figure concentrations being variously reported from Sunderland, Deerfield, Gill and Turner's Falls through to the month's end. With them, though often difficult to pick out,  1 - 3 Cackling Geese fairly regularly among the masses and 36 Snow Geese in Sunderland on the 15th (Al Richards). A fine adult Greater White-fronted Goose joined the flocks of geese collecting in Barton Cove on the 23rd (Scott Surner) and remained through to the 25th, and a lone Snow Goose turned up on the 30th (Josh Layfield) with probably the same bird continuing well into April. In addition, Josh Layfield detected an oddly Snow Goose-like hybrid which mysteriously appeared at Barton Cove on the 23rd, became somewhat aloof and then disappeared just as mysteriously only a few days later. Most domestic-type hybrids tend stick around for months in Barton Cove so the sudden departure of this bird came as a bit of a surprise.

Hybrid Goose - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. March 23rd, 2019.

Found and photographed by Josh Layfield. 

Tundra Swan - from a flock of 19, Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. March 11th, 2019.

Image appears courtesy of Josh Layfield. 

Canvasback (male) - Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. March 7th, 2019.

Cackling Goose (left) -  Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. March 23rd, 2019.

Cackling Goose (center) -  Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. March 25th, 2019.

Greater White-fronted Goose (adult) -  Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. March 23rd, 2019.

The annual spring build-up of Ring-necked Ducks peaked (c.140) towards the end of the month rolling into early April. The flock followed the ever receding ice at Barton Cove and could often be found very close into Riverview Drive in Gill. Lesser Scaup were often present with 3 males together at times and a nice male Greater Scaup offering 'great' comparisons on the 26th. Impressive concentrations of Common Mergansers could also be seen on Barton Cove in the last days of the month along with Common Goldeneyes, and a handful of Hooded Mergansers and Buffleheads.

Iceland (Kumlien's) Gull (center) - probably 3rd-cycle, Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. March 25th, 2019.

The second half of March saw a fabulous migration of large gulls through Turner's Falls and Barton Cove though numbers did taper sharply towards the month's end. Without doubt the find of the month was an adult/near adult California Gull carefully studied by David Sibley at the Turner's Falls power canal on the 17th. It was found on a quiet Sunday morning with very few other gulls present and departed NW with a couple Herring Gulls never to be relocated. As with any state level rarity, the record will have to be ratified by the Massachusetts Avian Records Committee but does look set to become the 6th state record and the first ever in interior Massachusetts - what a find!

California Gull  - adult/near adult, Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. March 17th, 2019.

Image appears courtesy of David Sibley.

 California Gull  (center) - adult/near adult at rest with Ring-billed and Herring Gulls,  Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. March 17th, 2019. 
Image appears courtesy of David Sibley.

The last ten days of the month also saw a good nice 'wave' of Lesser Black-backed Gulls with birds frequently found amid the masses on the ice at Barton Cove. At least four birds were involved with two adults, one 3rd-cycle and one 2nd-cycle.

Lesser Black-backed Gulls (adults) -  Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. March 24th, 2019.

Iceland Gulls were few and far between but David Sibley did find a compelling example of a  2nd-cycle bird quite closely resembling L.g. thayeri rather than the expected L.g. kumlieni. The image set is still being studied but at this stage it's looking quite difficult to rule out an intergrade though perhaps pointing more towards Thayer's rather than Kumlien's.  Either way, it was a really super bird to watch closely and a good one to learn from. 

Thayer's Gull or Thayer's/Kumlien's intergrade (center) - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. March 24th, 2019.

Found by David Sibley. All five flight images above show the same individual.