Monday, December 7, 2020

MA - Barred Owl and continuing Barnacle Goose

 

Barred Owl - Montague, Franklin Co., MA. December 7th, 2020. 

Cold, clear and sunny all day. Pleasant enough conditions but with temperatures barely reaching above freezing there was more than a hint that autumn was essentially over and winter had properly arrived. Finches were few this morning with just a single Pine Siskin over North Cross Road, Gill and a single Red Crossbill over the Montague Sandplains though later I was encouraged to find 35 Common Redpolls at the Turner's Falls power canal.  

Conditions were so cold in the morning that I thought I'd take my chances and look for roosting owls soaking up the winter sun and actually found one! Not quite the species that I had in mind, but I'll take it, quite happily in fact. I see and hear Barred Owl more frequently in Franklin County than any other owls species but to see one roosting openly in sunlight was a real treat and I watched it at a respectful distance through the scope without disturbing it. 

Barnacle Goose (adult) - Turner's Falls power canal at dusk, Franklin Co., MA. December 7th, 2020.


Barnacle Goose (right) - Turner's Falls power canal at dusk, Franklin Co., MA. December 7th, 2020.
Leading out the Canada Geese at dusk for evening feeding. This flock headed out towards Greenfield. 

In the evening the Turner's Falls power canal was again graced by the Barnacle Goose now entering its third consecutive week in the area and looking comfortable amid c. 1500 Canada Geese, two lingering Iceland Gulls (first-winters) continued with the Herring and Ring-billed Gulls.  


Bald Eagle (adult) - Montague, Franklin Co., MA. December 7th, 2020. 








1 comment:

carpist said...

Thanks for grosbeak report. Saw them today. Did not see any males