A search for rarities in the valley

Clay colored Sparrow, Honeypot, Hadley, MA, Feb 22, 2013

I decided to spend this last day before our next snowpocalypse destroys my ability to get outside for weeks on end by trying to catch up with a few of the overwintering rarities (and hopefully find some new ones).  I had good luck but missed out on a few (including...of course...the Gyrfalcon). 

I started at Quabbin Park at dawn  and had a Horned Grebe at Hanks Meadow.  Other noteworthy birds included at least three Common Ravens and a pair of Bald Eagles with one sitting on nest.  Only other waterfowl around were a handful of Common Mergansers.

Mute Swans and Hooded Mergansers, North Lane Conservation Area, Hadley, MA, Feb 22, 2013

I then headed over toward Hadley where I made a brief stop at the North Lane Conservation Area where I had a few Common and Hooded Mergansers and a couple Mute Swans.

Clay colored Sparrow, Honeypot, Hadley, MA, Feb 22, 2013

Clay colored Sparrow, Honeypot, Hadley, MA, Feb 22, 2013

Savannah Sparrow, Honeypot, Hadley, MA, Feb 22, 2013

American Tree Sparrow, Honeypot, Hadley, MA, Feb 22, 2013

Clay colored Sparrow, Honeypot, Hadley, MA, Feb 22, 2013

I then spent some time at the Honeypot in Hadley and ran across a few pockets of birds including a group of sparrows near the transfer station that included a Clay colored Sparrow, at least seven Savannah Sparrows, a White throated Sparrow, a few Song Sparrows, a dozen American Tree Sparrows and a junco.  Not much else of note in other sections of the Honeypot.

Common Merganser, Coolidge Bridge, Hadley, MA, Feb 22, 2013

I then stopped briefly at the Coolidge Bridge to try to catch up with the Greater Scaup that has been hanging around there.  No luck with the scaup today but did have Common Mergansers as well as hundreds of Canada Geese.

Vesper Sparrow, Aqua Vitae Road, Hadley, MA, Feb 22, 2013

Horned Lark, Aqua Vitae Road, Hadley, MA, Feb 22, 2013

A short ride over to Aqua Vitae Road eventually produced the continuing Vesper Sparrow  near a group of 30+ Horned Larks.  Oddly the only sparrow species here was the Vesper Sparrow.  I managed a couple of photos of the bird before a car came by and flushed the birds.  I returned back to the Honeypot and checked on the Clay colored Sparrow once again and it showed well once again.  A ride down South Maple Street and down East Hadley Road produced more Horned Larks but little else.

After returning home and picking up Wilson we headed over to the Covey WMA with the highlight being a group of 31 Hooded Mergansers together.  A brief stop at Winsor Dam on my way home produced a Common Loon way out  (too far out to photograph).  Overall a very successful day out poking around the area.