MA - Harlequin plus White-fronted and Cackling Geese

 

Harlequin Duck (first-winter male) and Ring-necked Duck (adult male) - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. March 11th, 2021. 

This Harlequin was first discovered by Anne Jemas on the Millers River, January 1st, 2021.

Yesterday's Greater White-fronted Geese offered a clear indication that waterfowl diversity is picking up locally. With that in mind I checked Barton Cove fairly early this morning hoping for the white-fronts and anything else that might have dropped in with the Canada Geese. On arrival at cove I was greeted with an obvious increase in waterfowl numbers, especially diving ducks with 27 Ring-necked Ducks, 8 Hooded and 5 Common Mergansers, a dozen Common Goldeneye and a male Harlequin Duck....What?!! After rubbing my eyes a couple of times, sure enough, there indeed was a Harlequin, undoubtedly the same immature male that had been wintering a few miles upstream on the Millers River. Despite multiple birders checking, myself included, the Harlequin hadn't been seen on the Millers River since February 5th with that particular sighting coming from Jeremiah Trimble. A cool five weeks later, and there it was off Riverview Drive, Gill consorting with a couple of Common Goldeneyes. It was flighty this morning and rarely settled for long, and I last saw it around noon. 

Harlequin Duck (first-winter male) - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. March 11th, 2021. 

Harlequin Duck (first-winter male) - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. March 11th, 2021. 

Harlequin Duck (first-winter male, left) - with Common Goldeneyes, Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. March 11th, 2021. 

Greater White-fronted Goose - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. March 11th, 2021. 

Greater White-fronted Goose - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. March 11th, 2021. 

Just right of center, taken from Unity Park, Turner's Falls.

Cackling Goose - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. March 11th, 2021. 

Bathing just in front of the American Black Duck. Taken from Unity Park.

Canada Geese - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. March 11th, 2021. 

Numbers increased again today with over 1000 feeding in Bernardston in the evening. 

Aside from the Harlequin, two Greater-fronted Geese did eventually show up at the cove in mid-morning. Oddly though, they were not associating with each other and things even got a little testy between them when they got too close. A quick check from Unity Park in mid-afternoon found only one Greater White-fronted Goose but with a wide scatter of reports from around the region in the last few days, I'm slightly hesitant to regard these and yesterday's birds as definitely relating to the same individuals. The two white-fronts yesterday did appear to be moving around together, quite different from the behavior of the two observed today. The afternoon search also turned up a Cackling Goose off Riverview Drive, my first of the season. 

Back at the Montague Plains, a thirty minute stop along Old Northfield Road rustled up a further 70 Red Crossbills and my first Fox Sparrow of the year giving bursts of song among the stands of young Pitch Pines.  

MA - more goodies as a brilliant October draws to a close.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo - Mill Village Road, Deerfield, Franklin Co., MA. October 26th, 2018. 
Found by Harvey Allen and Dawn Winkler. One of the latest documented records for Franklin County. 
Image appears courtesy of Dawn Winkler

The daily dose of birding excellence continued through to the month's end in Franklin County. Again, I tried to limit my drive time to within a 20 minute radius of our house in Northfield. Here's a summary of some of the latest highlights;


Bufflehead - small fall-out on October 30th with at least 31 from three sites in Turner's Falls and 8 on the Connecticut River at Montague.

Cackling Geese (2) just left of center - Upinngil Farm, Gill, October 29th, 2018. 

Cackling Goose - continued excellent showing through to the end of the month. For example, 3 at Turner's Falls on the 25th, 1 at Tri-town Beach from the 28th - 31st, and 2 at Upinngil Farm, Gill on the 29th.

 Northern Harrier - juvenile, Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 26th, 2018.

 Northern Harrier - adult male, Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA. October 30th, 2018.

Northern Harrier - singles at Northfield Meadows and Turner's Falls Airfield, the latter site included a male on the 30th.

American Coot - Tri-town Beach, Whately, Franklin Co., MA. October 30th, 2018. 

American Coot - one at Tri-town Beach, Whately through to the 31st.

Common Gallinule - first-winter at Tri-town Beach through to Oct 30th, continuing from the 19th when it was initially found by Josh Rose.

Pectoral Sandpipers - Hell's Kitchen, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. October 28th, 2018.

Pectoral Sandpiper - 5 together at Hell's Kitchen on the 28th with 3 still present on the 29th.

Semi-palmated Plover - Hell's Kitchen, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. October 28th, 2018.

Semi-palmated Plover - 1 at Hell's Kitchen on the 28th was still present on the 29th.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo - 1 on Mill Village Road, Deerfield, Franklin Co., October 26th, 2018. Seen by Harvey Allen and Dawn Winkler.

Eastern Screech-Owl - 1 (giving whinny calls) on North Cross Road, Gill at dawn on the 30th. Unusual here.

Horned Lark - 29 south over Northfield Meadows on the 28th. A poor autumn for this species so far.

Snow Bunting -  1 - 2 at Northfield Meadows and Turner's Falls Airfield from the 28th - 31st. 

Evening Grosbeak - male, Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 26th, 2018.

Evening Grosbeak -  a male in Northfield Meadows on Oct 26th, another westbound over North Cross Road, Gill on the 27th.

Pine Siskins - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 31st, 2018.

Pine Siskin - daily flyovers, most birds heading west but 40 feeding along a field edge on Meadow Road, Montague on the 28th (Brian Kane), and 35 in similar habitat in Northfield Meadows on the 31st.

Black-throated Green Warbler - 1 on North Cross Road, Gill on the 28th.

Yellow-rumped Warbler - small numbers at multiple locations but an impressive 25 in Northfield Meadows on the 31st.

Palm Warbler - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 31st, 2018.

Palm Warbler - 1- 5 in Northfield Meadows through to the 31st. All appeared to be of the 'yellow' eastern form.

Common Yellowthroat - 1 in Northfield Meadows on the 29th.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet - small numbers at multiple locations throughout but 14 at the Turner's Falls Rod and Gun club on the 29th was unusual and included one flock of 11.

Winter Wren - 1 on North Cross Road, Gill at dawn on the 30th.

White-throated Sparrow - up to 300 in Northfield Meadows through to the end of the month.

White-crowned Sparrow (adult) - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 31st, 2018.

White-crowned Sparrow - continued incursion with relatively good numbers (up to 20) through to the end of the month in Northfield Meadows, and smaller numbers (2 - 6) on Pine Meadow Road, Northfield, Turner's Falls and Monatgue.

Fox Sparrow - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 26th, 2018.

Fox Sparrow - continued presence at Northfield Meadows (up to 8) to the month's end plus 16 in Montague on the 28th (Brian Kane).

American Tree Sparrow - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 29th, 2018.

American Tree Sparrow - 1 on Meadow Road, Montague on the 28th (Brian Kane) and 1 in Northfield Meadows on the 29th.

Swamp and Savannah Sparrows - about 25 + of each species in Northfield Meadows through to the end of the month.

MA - more Fox Sparrows and an Evening Grosbeak

Evening Grosbeak (male) - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 26th, 2018. 

Northfield just keeps on giving! Fox Sparrows at Northfield Meadows increased to five this morning and I went on to find a 'pocket' of seven White-crowned Sparrows until farming activity forced me to try my luck elsewhere. It really worked out when a calling male Evening Grosbeak flew in and landed just two meters in front of me. It certainly seemed odd to see an Evening Grosbeak in the middle of agricultural fields but I'll take it, quite happily. 

Evening Grosbeak (male) - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 26th, 2018. 

Evening Grobeak (male) - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 26th, 2018. 

Evening Grosbeak (male) - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 26th, 2018. 

Evening Grosbeak (male) - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 26th, 2018. 

Fox Sparrow - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 26th, 2018. 

One of five in the same hedgerow this morning. 

Northern Harrier (juvenile) - Northfield Meadows, Franklin Co., MA. October 26th, 2018. 

MA - Turner's Snow Goose 11/11

Haven't had too much time for birding since the weekend but this afternoon a quick pre-appointment visit to the Turner's Falls power canal produced a Snow Goose, only the second on I've seen here this fall. Some 700 Canada Geese were present but I couldn't find anything other than the Snow Goose among them.

Yesterday morning started with a Fox Sparrow in our yard in Northfield with another two at the eastern edge of Turner's Falls airfield. Elsewhere, exciting reports of migrant Snowy Owls turning up at two widespread sites in Western Massachusetts.......I'd love to find one of those locally!

Snow Goose (right) - first-winter, Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. November 11th, 2014.

Fox Sparrow -  Turner's Falls airfield, Franklin Co., MA. November 10th, 2014.

One of two present, both of them real skulkers.

Fox Sparrow -  Northfield yard, Franklin Co., MA. November 10th, 2014.

Early morning record through the kitchen window.

MA - more Fox Sparrows

This is the time for them! Two together in our yard this morning closing matching observations from our previous home in Gill: http://pioneerbirding.blogspot.com/2013/10/ma-yard-fox-sparrow-1030.html

Fox Sparrow - West Northfield yard, Franklin Co., MA. October 31st, 2014.

One of two present today, and so nice to have them gracing the yard.

MA - poking around - Winter Wren and Fox Sparrow

Fox Sparrow - West Northfield yard, Franklin Co., MA. October 29th, 2014.

The last two days have been beautifully calm and autumnal. The first was superbly clear with glorious late autumn sunshine while the second was fog-bound until well after noon and a complete contrast to the previous day. Both days produced some nice species as I selected my birding spots between running errands.

October 28th brought six Horned Grebes to Barton Cove as well as a fly-over Snow Bunting and 5 Ring-necked Ducks. At the power canal, two, possibly three Cackling Geese were present in the afternoon including the continuing bird for its fifth straight day. A female Northern Pintail appeared all too briefly amid the Canada Geese before disappearing downstream.

The next day was heavily shrouded in fog but still had some good species in the woodland edges at Barton Cove including several Golden-crowned Kinglets, ten plus Yellow-rumped Warblers, a late Blackpoll Warbler, a calling Red-breasted Nuthatch (seem scarce this fall) and a perky Winter Wren. Late afternoon was dark and gloomy but brightened up considerably by a super 'Red' Fox Sparrow - the first at our new place in West Northfield, even bursting into song a couple of times toward dusk.

Horned Grebes - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. October 28th, 2014. 
Seems like the best way to get close to these grebes is by kayak! The shot below is a very heavy crop of the same group of six Horned Grebes. 

 Cackling Goose (center) - Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. October 28th, 2014. 
My second of the fall at this location. Less 'frosty' looking than the previous individual with a lot more buff to the breast color and narrower pale fringes to the upperparts. 
Again on the large side for a Cackling Goose but note the completely different head and bill shape compared to the surrounding Canadas.

 Winter Wren Troglodytes hiemalis  - Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. October 29th, 2014. 
Not too uncommon around Gill but views like this are few and far between with most of my observations going down as 'heard only'.

 Northern Pintail (center) -  female-type, Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. October 28th, 2014. 

MA - yard sparrows in Gill in December

 White-throated Sparrows - Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. Decemeber 10th, 2013.

Present daily in our yard with five-ten individuals present regularly. 

 Fox Sparrow - Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. Decemeber 10th, 2013.

Slightly unexpected in December, this bird had a broken leg and spent December 8th - 18th visiting our feeders. It didn't appear on the 19th and I think may have succumbed after a series of extremely cold mid-December nights. 

 American Tree Sparrow - Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. Decemeber 10th, 2013.

Another daily visitor to the yard, numbers fluctuate from two to fifteen individuals.

Dark-eyed Junco - Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. Decemeber 10th, 2013.

The most common and frequent visitor to the feeders with up to twenty daily. 

MA - recents - 11/12

November 12th.....most definitely the coldest day of the fall thus far. Light snow showers around dawn and a brutal north-western wind all day resulting in a small fall-out of Bufflehead to Barton Cove (one raft of 56!) and Turner's Falls (14 on the power canal). And yet I didn't record any at all on my rounds the previous day. With them came 3 Lesser Scaup, 3 Ring-necked Ducks, 8 Green-winged Teal and 2 Long-tailed Ducks. The power canal continued to host an American Coot and a drake Gadwall, where the previous day I saw 10 Gadwall (one flock of nine) and 5 Hermit Thrushes together (under the powerline). Both of the latter struck me as high totals and the Gadwalls in particular could be the most I've ever seen at one location in Franklin County.

Buffleheads - Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA.

November 12th, 2013.


 

Buffleheads - part of a raft of 56 birds with two Long-tailed Ducks (center-left)

Barton Cove, Franklin Co., MA.November 12th, 2013.

 



 Fox Sparrow - Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. November 8th, 2013.

One of up to five continuing to grace our yard.



Fox Sparrow - Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. November 12th, 2013.
This particular bird is quite a bit grayer than the other four present.

 Fox Sparrows - four together (top, extreme left, lower left and far right),
Gill yard, Franklin Co., MA. November 8th, 2013.

 

 



Barred Owl - Gill, Franklin Co., MA. November 9th, 2013.

 

The (local) gull numbers have been very slow to build so far this fall but it seems like this last weekend brought the first significant change in diversity when Brian Kane informed me of two first year Kumlien's Gulls with the Ring-billed Gulls at Unity Park. Present each day since, they already seem accustomed to their new surroundings and readily take bread from the folks coming to feed the ducks and geese. They're quite possibly the most approachable Kumlein's Gulls I've seen......anywhere!

 

Kumlien's Gull - Unity Park, Turner's Falls, Franklin Co., MA.

November 12th, 2013.