Winsor Dam after the snow storm

Common Mergansers, Winsor Dam, Feb 10, 2013

Winsor Dam area at dawn, Feb 10, 2013

Common Merganser, Winsor Dam, Feb 10, 2013

Common Mergansers, Winsor Dam, Feb 10, 2013

After spending Friday evening and all day yesterday at home due to the snow I was ready to get out to Quabbin so I headed over to Winsor Dam near dawn.  It was a very cold morning with the temperature starting off at a very chilly -1.  The water had a skim coat of ice out to perhaps 1000 feet or a bit more.  The only birds of note were half a dozen Common Mergansers, a pair of Hooded Mergansers and a handful of Wild Turkeys.  There were some impressive drifts and accumulations of ice along the shore thanks to the nearly two feet of snow and strong northerly winds.  Many of the areas were completely blown clear of snow.  I then headed over to Quabbin Park itself but the roads remained closed and had not yet been plowed at all.  I also tried Covey WMA but that area also remained inaccessible.  I then headed for home until later when it warmed up.  I stopped back at Winsor Dam in the early afternoon and had a total of 16 Common Mergansers but little else of note.  The mergansers gave great looks as they worked the edge of the ice that had moved to just offshore of the HQ building.  The weather had also warmed up substantial with the high reaching to just above freezing in the 30's with lots of sun.