MA - Golden Eagle and another Rough-legged Hawk in Buckland

 

Rough-legged Hawk (light morph) - Buckland, Franklin Co., MA. February 14th, 2021. Possibly sub-adult.

Another Sunday and another family visit to Berkshire East Mountain Resort in Charlemont. After dropping off Matan for some snowboarding I drove the quiet country roads around Heath hoping for a perched raptor, maybe some irruptive finches, or perhaps even a few Bohemian Waxwings. The day was exceptionally quiet and I actually didn't see a single bird other than a few Black-capped Chickadees visiting a feeder in Heath Center.  As the breeze started to pick up and I elected to take my chances at the Deerfield River overlook on the Mohawk Trail, a spot that has recently produced two locally decent  raptors in the form of a Rough-legged Hawk on January 8th, and a Golden Eagle on January 27th. Both of these beauties happened to be juvenile/first-winter birds and both were obliging enough to stick around and be seen by multiple observers - nice! 

Rough-legged Hawk (light morph) - Charlemont/Buckland, Franklin Co., MA. February 14th, 2021. Possibly sub-adult.

Compare with the juv/first-winter (below) photographed from the same location on January 8th, 2021.

Rough-legged Hawk (light morph) - Charlemont/Buckland, Franklin Co., MA. January 8th, 2021. Juvenile/first-winter.

Compare with the probable sub-adult above photographed roughly six weeks later and clearly involving a different (new) individual bird.

Arrival at the overlook was immediately greeted by a Rough-legged Hawk, remarkably similar to my experience on January 8th. Moreover, like the January 8th bird, it was a light morph but as I watched it pass over the Mohawk Trail I noticed a few subtle differences. Some six weeks had passed since the last confirmed sightings of that bird originally found by Brendan Murtha on January 7th. Even so, I'd barely had time to contemplate the idea that the Rough-legged Hawk in view might be a new individual when I picked up a distant high-flying raptor gliding to the NW. As I followed it in the scope it banked before hitting an updraft revealing a stark white tail with a thick black terminal band. It was the immature Golden Eagle! After briefly circling it continued gliding into the NW breeze before losing height as it headed towards Heath Center. 

Golden Eagle (juv/first-winter) - Buckland, Franklin Co., MA. February 14th, 2021. 

Distant scope bird but still exhibiting classic Golden Eagle shape and features including white tail with thick black terminal band, pale, whitish bases

to the primaries, relatively small head and curved trailing edge to the wings typical of young Golden Eagle.

Conditions seemed to be so good for raptors that I hung around the Deerfield River overlook scanning for the next three hours. While there was no further sign of the Golden Eagle, I did have prolonged views of the Rough-legged Hawk confirming my original thought that it was an older individual than the first-winter seen in early/mid-January.  Other raptors also included an immature Bald Eagle, a couple of Red-tailed Hawks and a distant Sharp-shinned Hawk but the afternoon really belonged to the magnificent Rough-legged Hawk that put on a wonderful show. 

Rough-legged Hawk (light morph) - Buckland, Franklin Co., MA. February 14th, 2021. Possibly sub-adult.

The following day (Feb 15th), I spent some time driving the area hoping for either the eagle or the Rough-leg but didn't come up with either perhaps due to poor weather, though I did come across a nice Barred Owl perched out in the open.

Barred Owl - Buckland, Franklin Co., MA. February 15th, 2021. 

MA - Golden Eagle and other raptors in Buckland

Golden Eagle - juvenile, Buckland, Franklin Co., MA. January 27th, 2021.

At rest, quite a few things stood out on this bird, most strikingly the stark white tail with black tip, the uniform dark brown upperparts lacking any pale on the wing coverts or scapulars, and the light colored, golden-brown nape and crown. Perched fairly low with aesthetic proportions, and without other species close-by for comparison, it did not give the impression of being an especially large raptor at rest .  

As winter begins to tighten its grip on Western Massachusetts, fresh snow falls and this weekend's forecast for an Arctic blast have brought an abrupt end to the relatively calm, mild  days experienced in mid-January. While it may be pure coincidence, raptors and owls have become increasingly evident in Franklin County over the last week or so and yesterday afternoon, after dropping Matan for snowboarding at Berkshire East near Charlemont, I came across this stunning juvenile Golden Eagle! 

Golden Eagle - juvenile, Buckland, Franklin Co., MA. January 27th, 2021.

Bald Eagle (immature) and Golden Eagle  (juvenile) - Buckland, Franklin Co., MA. January 27th, 2021.

Initially found resting on a low beam, thanks mainly due to a couple of mobbing Common Ravens, it somehow managed to slip away unnoticed and I actually lost touch with it for a little while. Twenty minutes later I was back in business as it soared majestically above the tree tops drifting over the Buckland side of the Deerfield River. At one point it sparred with an immature Bald Eagle, a bird that I'd seen perched by the river a little while earlier. The Golden Eagle appeared several more times over the course of the next 90 minutes and remained active quite late into the evening until I last saw it drifting south towards Ashfield at 16:45 hours. 

Bald Eagle - immature, Deerfield River,  Charlemont, Franklin Co., MA. January 27th, 2021.

Bald Eagle - Deerfield River,  Charlemont, Franklin Co., MA. January 27th, 2021.

The last raptor of the day and still in the air at 16:50 hours.

Golden Eagle is not a common bird in Franklin County. Looking back on my records, I've had very little luck with the species and I believe this is only the third that I've seen in the county since 2005! Fortunately, I've managed to photograph all three but yesterday's bird was especially sweet since it was a pristine juvenile, and in the air for some time. The same overlook by the Deerfield River seems to be becoming something of a sweet spot for raptors with Red-shouldered Hawk, Merlin, Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks, as well the ubiquitous local Red-tailed Hawks and Bald Eagles, all being seen over the last two weeks including this close encounter with a Rough-legged Hawk on January 8th. 

Rural farmland - Buckland, Franklin Co., MA. January 26th, 2021.

Looking towards Buckland from the Deerfield River, Franklin Co., MA. January 26th, 2021.

Approximate location for the Deerfield River overlook along the Mohawk Trail (Rt 2).

It should be interesting to see if this young Golden Eagle sticks around or whether it was simply moving ahead of the extremely cold weather front forecast for the next  2 - 3 days. Still with the raptor theme I had good views of a Northern Harrier in Whately on the 26th, a species not especially easy to find in Franklin County in mid-winter . 

Northern Harrier - fem/imm, Whately, Franklin Co., MA. January 26th, 2021.

Harlequin Duck - Millers River, Erving, Franklin Co., MA. January 28th, 2021.

Though getting far less attention nowadays, the Harlequin continues to show well on the Millers River 

as does the Barrow's Goldeneye at the Turner's Falls power canal. 

 

VT - Golden Eagle and Lapland Longspur close to home

Golden Eagle (immature) - Vernon, Windham Co., VT. February 1st, 2019.

Being mobbed by Common Raven. 

Another cold, crisp morning (- 4 deg F at dawn) bringing a stark beauty to the local fields and hedgerows in northern Franklin County. The day started well with another Barred Owl along Main Road in Gill. After dealing with errands and a quick visit to the Northfield Transfer Station I cruised along Caldwell Road, Northfield finding a couple of hardy Savannah Sparrows and then decided to take my chances just up the road in Vernon, Vermont. Despite being less than 10 minutes from my house in Northfield, I rarely bird the Vernon area so decided to have a quick look at Pond Road, just a mile or so north of the Massachusetts/Vermont state line. Initially things seemed quiet as is often the case in mid-winter but I soon came across a flock of around 75 Horned Larks. After some careful scanning, I found a couple of Lapland Longspurs and even a Redpoll dropped in to join the party! I was thrilled with the longspurs, only serving to reinforce my belief that this is an absolutely stellar winter for the species in the Connecticut River Valley. Feeling like I might have had my luck for the morning, I was already heading for home when I noticed two Common Ravens mobbing an eagle-sized raptor with rich brown upperparts, and a strikingly white tail with a thick black terminal band - Golden Eagle!! I did what I could for record shots and then pulled over to a safe spot on the road fully expecting to see a Golden Eagle soaring behind me but the sky was empty. In the few seconds that it had taken me to pull over and park the eagle had evidently stayed low and perched out of view, or at least out of view from the roadside.

Lapland Longspur (with Horned Larks) -Vernon, Windham Co., VT. February 1st, 2019.

Lapland Longspur -Vernon, Windham Co., VT. February 1st, 2019.

Lapland Longspur -Vernon, Windham Co., VT. February 1st, 2019.

Common Redpoll -Vernon, Windham Co., VT. February 1st, 2019.

Dropped in to try and join the feeding Horned Larks. 

Golden Eagle (immature) - Vernon, Windham Co., VT. February 1st, 2019.

Being mobbed by Common Raven. 

Looking toward Pond Road, Vernon, Windham Co., VT. February 1st, 2019.

That was one helluva fifteen minutes along Pond Road in Vernon, a mere 10 minutes north of home in Northfield - not too shabby!

VT - Golden Eagles in Putney

Golden Eagle (first-winter) - from Putney Great Meadow, Windham Co., VT. January 23rd, 2019.

January 23rd looked liked it would be a nice transition day between the frigid temperatures of the 21st/22nd and the balmy but horribly wet forecast for the 24th. Since January 6th, a steady series of Golden Eagle reports from Westmoreland, New Hampshire had piqued my interest, especially since I'd missed all of the birds reported in Windham and Franklin Counties during what appeared to be an exceptional fall for them. Westmoreland, as the eagle flies, is only 30 miles upriver from my home in Northfield but as I know the adjacent side of the Connecticut River a little better, I decided to take my chances and have a morning looking across the river from Putney Great Meadow. And, seeing as the 23rd is my birthday, I felt like I could justify going a little further afield than my local patch.

Golden Eagle (first-winter) - from Putney Great Meadow, Windham Co., VT. January 23rd, 2019.

Three more images of the first individual that gave the most prolonged views.

Arrival at Putney Great Meadow was not pretty with no obvious way of getting into the site and included six to eight inches of fresh snow. But after some effort I was inside the meadows trudging around in deep, soft snow scanning for raptors and anything else that might come my way. Initially things were quiet, very quiet in fact to the point where I considered giving up and heading back south. But a flock of 85 Snow Buntings got things moving in the right direction and as I carefully scanned the tree tops and hillside across the river toward Westmoreland the first breezes of the day picked up. Almost instantly, Red-tailed Hawks started lifting up above the tree line and the very first raptor lined up my scope was a crisp, pristine first-winter Golden Eagle! I could hardly believe my luck as it gave fairly prolonged views soaring and gaining height as the initial breeze became wind. Hoping that the southern wind would drift the bird my way was a little too much to ask for as it went into a glide heading straight down river towards Putney town itself. And that was my day, or so I thought, but minutes later I was watching another Golden Eagle, this one much lower and heading north before it went into a dive seemingly settling in some massive riverside evergreens. It had to be a second bird as the first was long gone and heading south. I waited for a while hoping for more views but it seemed to have settled. In the mean time, watching Redpolls foraging in the open fields with Horned Larks, and Snow Buntings perching high in the tree tops along the river provided a touch of the bizarre.

Snow Buntings alighting in tree tops -  Putney Great Meadow, Windham Co., VT. January 23rd, 2019.

Snow Bunting -  Putney Great Meadow, Windham Co., VT. January 23rd, 2019.

Red-tailed Hawk -  Putney Great Meadow, Windham Co., VT. January 23rd, 2019.

Golden Eagle (first-winter) - from Putney Great Meadow, Windham Co., VT. January 23rd, 2019.

A second individual heading north just above tree line. 

Getting out of Putney Great Meadow was even harder than getting in but I was thrilled with the result and the modest hardship seemed well worth it. Heading south on River Road toward Putney, I came across another very large raptor with an obvious dihedral showing a lot of white in the tail, surely another immature Golden Eagle?! Roadside parking was tricky but I fired off a number of images before raising my bins. The next eagle to come into view was an adult Bald Eagle.....so what had happened to my apparent Golden? Sure enough, a review of the images revealed that I was right, the first bird that I'd seen from my moving car was a first-winter Golden Eagle. Could that be three Golden Eagles one morning? Well, quite possibly but I think it's equally possible that the bird on River Road was the first immature that I watched heading south from Great Meadow. Either way, three sightings of Golden Eagles was way more than I could have expected just 30 minutes from home - absolutely delighted!

Golden Eagle (first-winter) - Stoneholm Farm, Putney, Windham Co., VT. January 23rd, 2019.

The third sighting of the morning about two miles south of Great Meadow but note the white 'flash' on the left wing 

very similar to the first bird photographed at 10:53 hours. 

Vermont Golden Eagle and more - 03/25

Yesterday provided a pleasant break from the norm when I was joined by visiting Belgian birder Martin Boer. Although we initially planned an owl/woodock start to the day, the frigid pre-dawn temperatures were enough to put us off and we met at the rather civilized hour of 06:30am. From there we scoured numerous sites along the Connecticut River Valley beginning at the Turner's Falls power canal, heading as far north as Vernon Dam, Vermont before returning to finish at Barton Cove, Gill. It turned out to be a fantastic day with large numbers of birds greeting us at almost every stop. In particular, Canada Geese featured throughout the day with the largest numbers at Vernon Dam and later, a huge flight of birds over Barton Cove heading for the Turner's Falls power canal. In West Northfield and Vernon it seemed like every patch of open grass was filled with American Robins and with them Brown-headed Cowbirds (and Starlings!). We also had great looks at Killdeers in West Northfield, Horned Larks in Vernon and all the continuing waterfowl at Barton Cove.

The day got off to a terrific start with six calling Fish Crows flying over the main parking lot at Turner's Falls power canal, only my third local record. Martin's sharp eyes soon picked out a drake Northern Pintail among the Mallards in the early morning gloom, and minutes later we were looking at three drakes together! But our personal highlights came later in the day with a Golden Eagle over the Connecticut River at Vernon, VT, and a drumming Pileated Woodpecker at Ben Hale Road in Gill. Ironically, we only found the Golden Eagle after Mike Resch gave us a spot to try for Carolina Wren. It was pretty astonishing to step out of the car hoping to hear a Carolina Wren singing only to be confronted by a Red-tailed Hawk mobbing a sub-adult Golden Eagle! Just a couple of hours before I'd read a post from Hector Galbraith describing a sub-adult Golden Eagle over Vernon Dam the previous evening but I really wasn't ready for the same bird to still be around on our day......amazing! Only my third Golden Eagle in the CT River Valley since 2005. Exciting though this was for me, Martin had seen Golden Eagles before and his big highlight came half an hour later with the Pileated Woodpecker. This bird had been on our minds all day after we heard, but did not see, a drumming Pileated at Turner's Falls first thing in the morning.

A brilliant day with great company ended on 43 species, all of which we saw well......no fleeting glimpses or 'heard-only' birds for us!

Being mobbed by a local Red-tail. 

 The tree in the foreground in is Vermont and the woodland at the rear is New Hampshire - 

the eagle is over the CT River. 

Golden Eagle - from Stebbins Road, Vernon, Windham Co., VT. March 25th, 2014. 

Sub-adult, first seen by Hector Galbraith on March 24th, 2014.

 Fish Crow - Cherry Rum Plaza, Greenfield, Franklin Co., MA. March 26th, 2014. 

Could this bird be one of six seen dispersing from roost at Turner's Falls on March 25th?

 Hooded Merganser - male, Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. March 25th, 2014.

Every stop on the Connecticut River produced this species. 

 Northern Pintail - male, Turner's Falls power canal, Franklin Co., MA. March 25th, 2014.

A fine morning for these with four males seen on the power canal. 

Pileated Woodpecker - Ben Hale Road, Gill, MA. March 25th, 2014. 

Great spotting by Martin to pick up this drumming male. 

Brown-headed Cowbirds -  males, West Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. March 25th, 2014.

Canvasback (center) - male, Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. March 25th, 2014. 

Extra-ordinary head and bill shape! Continuing from March 12th.