Red Crossbills - Montague Plains WMA, Franklin Co., MA. March 16th, 2021.
Last Tuesday (March 16th) I ran into an embarrassment of avian riches in the Montague Plains WMA. It was was bitterly cold at the start of the day, well below freezing in fact but by mid-morning the warmth of the spring sunshine began to make a real difference and the Montague Pitch Pines became a frenzy of finch activity once again. What made this morning particularly special wasn't so much the simple presence of lots of fringillids but more to do with having them gather together in one especially sweet spot. The place was full of them with Red Crossbills (85) White-winged Crossbills (7), Pine Siskins (12), Common Redpolls (7) and other commoner species such as American Goldfinch, Dark-eyed Junco, American Tree Sparrow, Song Sparrow and a handful of White-throated Sparrows.
White-winged Crossbill (female) - Montague Plains WMA, Franklin Co., MA. March 16th, 2021.
Finally a chance to catch up with proper views female White-winged Crossbills!
Red and White-winged Crossbills (males) - Montague Plains WMA, Franklin Co., MA. March 16th, 2021.
White-winged Crossbill (pair) - Montague Plains WMA, Franklin Co., MA. March 16th, 2021.
Two birds from a party of five feeding in the same Pitch Pine.
Common Redpoll with Red Crossbills - Montague Plains WMA, Franklin Co., MA. March 16th, 2021.
Red Crossbill - Montague Plains WMA, Franklin Co., MA. March 16th, 2021.
Red-breasted Nuthatch - Montague Plains WMA, Franklin Co., MA. March 16th, 2021.
Still good numbers around though far fewer than in the autumn and early winter.
A few will breed in the plains even in non-incursion years.
1 comment:
I haven't seen any of those species for quite some time. Great morning for you!
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