Various areas around Quabbin

Sunrise over Quabbin, Gate 5, Apr 22, 2013

After Wilson decided it would be a good idea to wake up just before five I took the opportunity to head out and see the sunrise at Quabbin.  Before I even left the house on this cold morning (below freezing again) I had a Great Horned Owl hooting.  I headed for Gate 5 and walked down to the waters edge.  I had a couple Ruffed Grouse drumming as I checked out the water and watched the sunrise.  There were a number of gulls on the water but the distance was just too great to pick out anything unusual.  I had a pair of mating Cooper's Hawks as I headed back up the road to my car.

I next headed north up to the large marsh near Gate 9 in hopes of finding a bittern but had no luck (again).  However I did run across at least two Red Crossbills, which according to Matt Young at Cornell are likely Type 1 (confirmation will have to wait until he analyzes the calls).  I also had a large group of migrant warblers moving along the edge of the marsh that I was never able to fully look through as the crossbills distracted me.  After Gate 9 I headed south and stopped at the Packardville Road marsh where I tried for an early Northern Waterthrush but instead had a Louisiana Waterthrush calling several times.  My next stop was Lake Wallace where I once again struck out in finding a bittern.

Pine Warbler with unusual markings, Quabbin Park, Apr 22, 2013

Pine Warbler with unusual markings, Quabbin Park, Apr 22, 2013

Red breasted Merganser, Quabbin Park, Apr 22, 2013

I then headed over to Quabbin Park with the notable birds being a Red breasted Mergansers viewed from Hanks Meadow and an odd Pine Warbler with a complete black 'necklace' on its lover neck/upper chest similar to a Canada Warbler.  I managed a couple of digiscoped photos.  Nothing else too unusual there but some decent numbers of typical migrants. 

Later in the morning Wilson and I took a walk along Jabish Canal and the highlights included a pair of Broad-winged Hawks hunting along the canal and at least one Rusty Blackbird calling.