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| Merlin, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Feb 15, 2014 |
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| Lapland Longspur, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Feb 15, 2014 |
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| Common Goldeneyes, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Feb 15, 2014 |
With another 3-6 inches of snow forecast to fall today into tonight I decided to head out before dawn before the weather turned to crap again. I started at the Honey Pot and ran into a group of just under forty Horned Larks plus a couple Lapland Longspurs in among them. As I was watching the flock a Merlin zipped past just above the ground passing between my car and the snowbank and then landed atop a nearby telephone pole. I then drove down to the river and scanned for waterfowl and found seven Common Goldeneyes, a few Black Ducks and a few dozen Mallards. I then headed over to the river to see what might be around.
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| Common Goldeneyes, Connecticut River, Hadley, MA, Feb 15, 2014 |
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| Common Goldeneyes, Connecticut River, Hadley, MA, Feb 15, 2014 |
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| Common Goldeneyes, Connecticut River, Hadley, MA, Feb 15, 2014 |
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| Common Goldeneye, Connecticut River, Hadley, MA, Feb 15, 2014 |
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| Greater Scaup, Connecticut River, Hadley, MA, Feb 15, 2014 |
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| Greater Scaup, Connecticut River, Hadley, MA, Feb 15, 2014 |
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| Greater Scaup, Connecticut River, Hadley, MA, Feb 15, 2014 |
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| Greater Scaup, Connecticut River, Hadley, MA, Feb 15, 2014 |
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| Hooded Mergansers, Connecticut River, Hadley, MA, Feb 15, 2014 |
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| Wood Duck, Connecticut River, Hadley, MA, Feb 15, 2014 |
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| Northern Pintail, Connecticut River, Hadley, MA, Feb 15, 2014 |
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| Hooded Merganser, Connecticut River, Hadley, MA, Feb 15, 2014 |
The stop at the Connecticut River was quite productive for waterfowl with the following species seen: 614 Canada Geese, the hybrid goose, a female Wood Duck, 21 Black Ducks, 428 Mallards, several mallard x black duck hybrids, two Northern Pintails, a male Ring necked Duck, a dozen Greater Scaup (ten males, two females...fairly unusual inland), 27 Common Goldeneyes (a nice influx of this species to the area today...hoped for a Barrow's Goldeneye but no luck), seven Hooded Mergansers and a couple Common Mergansers. I also had a few Snow Buntings fly over. No sign of the Red necked Grebe but it may have been upriver where I couldn't view it.
A brief stop at Aqua Vitae Road turned up 16 Horned Larks and 22 Snow Buntings but little else. A stop along Moody Bridge Road didn't turn up any meadowlarks this morning but I didn't look too long for them.
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| Eastern Coyote, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 15, 2014 |
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| Eastern Coyotes, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 15, 2014 |
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| Eastern Coyote, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 15, 2014 |
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| Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 15, 2014 |
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| Winsor Dam at the beginning of the latest snowfall, Quabbin Park, MA, Feb 15, 2014 |
I made a couple stops at Winsor Dam just before and after the snow started. I hoped to come across the Golden Eagle but only had a few Bald Eagles. Other birds around included around 35 American Robins and a few Cedar Waxwings feeding on various fruiting bushes. The real highlight were the seven Eastern Coyotes out on the ice including one with an obviously injured front leg. It was interesting to see the various coloration of the different individual coyotes.
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| Wilson guarding the feeders from squirrels, Feb 15, 2014 |
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| Looking down the driveway after the latest storm, Feb 14, 2014 |
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| Wilson jumping like a rabbit through the snow, Feb 14, 2014 |
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| Wilson deciding it is easier to follow my tracks! |
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| After the latest snow, Feb 14, 2014 |
The latest storm dumped another 14 inches of snow plus some sleet yesterday. We now have feet of snow on the ground with no end in sight from winter. At least the snow kept me out shoveling for hours in the morning which allowed me to get a few good birds. The best was a flyover Evening Grosbeak. I was shovelling and heard a call that peaked my interest. I stopped and listened and the grosbeak called several times as it seemed to circle the yard before disappearing to the east not to be seen again. My first sighting of this species in the yard since 2010. Evening Grosbeaks have been very tough to come by this year. Other notable birds around the yard included a Winter Wren (first in several weeks) and a flyby group of a Black Duck and a Mallard...good luck to them finding any open water in this frozen tundra like landscape! A walk though the woods east of the house found a couple Ruffed Grouse and a workout for Wilson and I as we broke trail through feet of snow.
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