As usual, it was my intention to have a relatively quick check of Barton Cove after dropping Matan at school. I arrived to find Josh Rose and Al Richards already scoping out the diving duck spectacle there. Josh had already counted 375 Ring-necked Ducks though I must admit, when an eagle flushed them onto the open water away from the ice, it looked like even more than that perhaps closer to 400 birds.
Lesser Scaup - new arrivals, Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. April 7th, 2015.
New today were 4 Lesser Scaup and a slight increase to 6 American Wigeon but otherwise the numbers looked comparable to recent visits. There was some action above the water with a couple of Tree Swallows, the first Northern Rough-winged Swallow and at least 3 Belted Kingfishers. At least three Eastern Phoebes were also foraging and calling along our particular corner of Riverview Drive as well.
Northern Rough-winged Swallow - hawking over the water at Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA.
April 7th, 2015. First this year.
Kumlien's Iceland Gull - first-cycle, Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. April 7th, 2015.
In the evening, a quick five minute check of Barton Cove revealed much the same as the morning but with the addition of the returning pristine adult Lesser Black-backed Gull first seen on April 3rd. The continuing first-cycle Kumlien's Iceland Gull was also still present.
Lesser Black-backed Gull - adult, Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin Co., MA. April 3rd, 2015.
Same small adult seen this evening, April 7th, but mostly too obscured for photos. This shot is from April 3rd.
