Thursday, November 7, 2013

Golden Eagle at Winsor Dam...species #233 for Hampshire County this year.


Golden Eagle, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, Nov 7, 2013

Golden Eagle, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, Nov 7, 2013
Golden Eagle, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, Nov 7, 2013
Golden Eagle, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, Nov 7, 2013
Golden Eagle, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, Nov 7, 2013
Golden Eagle, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, Nov 7, 2013
Golden Eagle, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, Nov 7, 2013
Golden Eagle, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, Nov 7, 2013
Golden Eagle (L) with Bald Eagle (R), Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, Nov 7, 2013
Golden Eagle, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, Nov 7, 2013
Golden Eagle (top) with Bald Eagle, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, Nov 7, 2013
Golden Eagle, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, Nov 7, 2013
Golden Eagle, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, Nov 7, 2013
Yet again another example of the right place at the right time today.  I was on my way to an appointment and had a few extra minutes so I made a brief stop at Winsor Dam arriving not long after a cold front moved through. The crew at Quabbin had a few boats out and looked to be practicing with deploying containment booms so I knew the likelihood of any waterfowl would be very low.  I scanned briefly from my car and noticed a handful of gull way out and then noticed a raptor flying over the gap that looked 'interesting' so I quick got the scope out and checked it out.  The bird turned out to be a juvenile Golden Eagle!  I watched the bird for several minutes as it slowly drifted off to the southeast and gained altitude.  At one point a Bald Eagle came by and interacted with the Golden Eagle.  I just kept snapping distant photos and hoping some came out.  I rapidly ran out of time as I only had about ten minutes to spare.  The bird was still in view when I left and it was hard to tear myself away.  The Golden Eagle becomes species #233 for Hampshire County this year.  A species I have been trying to find for a few weeks now as their migration peaks.  Even with lots of looking it can be missed for the year so I was quite happy to find it.
Horned Grebes, Quabbin Park, Nov 7, 2013
Horned Grebe, Quabbin Park, Nov 7, 2013
Horned Grebe, Quabbin Park, Nov 7, 2013
Hanks Meadow looking north, Quabbin Park, Nov 7, 2013
Horned Grebes, Quabbin Park, Nov 7, 2013
Early this morning I had some time before an appointment to make it over to Quabbin Park.  The day started out in the upper 50's to the low 60's with a decent wind out of the south so it was fairly pleasant being outside.  I was once again on the hunt for waterfowl and perhaps some rarity.  I found the following waterfowl as I hit Hanks Meadow, Goodnough Dike, Winsor Dam and the Route 9 marsh:11 Black Ducks, a single Mallard, 28 Common Mergansers in a single flyby flock, three Hooded Mergansers, seven Common Loons and seven Horned Grebes.

A brief stop at Beaver Lake in Ware produced 11 Common Mergansers and a handful of Mallards but little else.

2 comments:

  1. Great find Larry. Your persistence is certainly paying off. I know how gloomy it was this afternoon so you did well to get those record shots. Nice work.

    James

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    1. Thanks James. I was lucky to get those shots...all digiscoped with an iPhone...tried some with the SLR but the bird was just too far away...very happy to run across that golden.

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