Unsuccessful search for Gyrfalcon but lots of other good stuff.

Snow Buntings, Aqua Vitae Rd, Hadley, MA, Jan 4, 2013

Vesper Sparrow, Aqua Vitae Rd, Hadley, MA, Jan 4, 2013

Merlin, Honeypot, Hadley, MA, Jan 4, 2013

Clay-colored Sparrow, Aqua Vitae Rd, Hadley, MA, Jan 4, 2013

Clay-colored Sparrow (with Savannah Sparrows), Aqua Vitae Rd, Hadley, MA, Jan 4, 2013

Although my search for the elusive Gyrfalcon proved to be fruitless I still had a fabulous day of birding the Hadley area with visits to the Honeypot, Aqua Vitae Rd and South Maple St.  Highlights included a Rough legged Hawk along S. Maple St, Clay colored Sparrows at the Honeypot and along Aqua Vitae Rd, loads of Savannah Sparrows, a Vesper Sparrow along Aqua Vitae, a Merlin in various locations, a Lapland Longspur with Snow Buntings, a flock of 138 Snow Buntings along Aqua Vitae Rd and Horned Larks in various spots.  There were only a couple brief sightings of the Gyrfalcon today despite a large number of people out looking. 

Greater Scaup, Quabbin Park, Jan 4, 2013

Greater Scaup, Quabbin Park, Jan 4, 2013

Greater Scaup, Quabbin Park, Jan 4, 2013

With my fill of falcon seeking I decided to head over to Quabbin in the afternoon after taking Wilson for a walk.  There were eleven Pine Grosbeaks feeding in the crabapple trees giving great views.  The water was relatively calm but contained only 39 Mallards way out.  I decided to try my luck at Quabbin Park and ran across groups of Common and Hooded Mergansers as well as several Mallards and a lone Horned Grebe.  The best birds there turned out to be two ducks together at Hank's Meadow that turned out to be a couple of Greater Scaup.  I was a little puzzled by the difference in size of the birds but a couple people I asked pointed to both birds being Greater Scaup, a very unusual bird inland most times and especially in January.