Waterfowl in the Connecticut River below the Coolidge Bridge

I have stopped the last couple of mornings briefly before work to check out the waterfowl in the Connecticut River below the Coolidge Bridge and have been rewarded with some nice variety and numbers for February. 

Northern Pintail, Connecticut River, Northampton, MA, Feb 4, 2013

Northern Pintail, Connecticut River, Northampton, MA, Feb 4, 2013

Northern Pintail, Connecticut River, Northampton, MA, Feb 4, 2013

Northern Pintails, Connecticut River, Northampton, MA, Feb 4, 2013

Hooded Merganser, Connecticut River, Northampton, MA, Feb 4, 2013

Common Goldeneye, Connecticut River, Northampton, MA, Feb 4, 2013

Hybrid goose, Connecticut River, Northampton, MA, Feb 4, 2013

Dawn, Connecticut River, Northampton, MA, Feb 4, 2013

Dawn, Connecticut River, Northampton, MA, Feb 4, 2013

This mornings waterfowl totals included 1349 Canada Geese, the continued hybrid goose (Canada Goose x Greater White fronted Goose or Canada Goose x Graylag Goose), a female Wood Duck, 44 Black Ducks, 688 Mallards, three Northern Pintails (two males and a female), two male Common Goldeneye, a pair of Hooded Mergansers and 16 Common Mergansers.  The non waterfowl highlights included at least seven Snow Buntings flying around, a couple Horned Larks and 38 Red winged Blackbirds plus a fair number of crows and robins leaving their roosts before dawn.  Although cold (about 18 degrees) with a bit of fog on the river, at least it was a clear sky and there was a beautiful sunrise.  Another storm is forecast to hit overnight into tomorrow with up to a foot of snow so checking out the waterfowl in the immediate future at this location will be difficult at best.
 

Northern Pintail, Connecticut River, Northampton, MA, Feb 3, 2014

Wood Duck, Connecticut River, Northampton, MA, Feb 3, 2014

Wood Duck with hybrid goose (center), Connecticut River, Northampton, MA, Feb 3, 2014

Hybrid goose in among Canada Geese, Connecticut River, Northampton, MA, Feb 3, 2014

Yesterday morning I had an American Wigeon, a female Wood Duck, three male Northern Pintails (up from two males the previous days), the hybrid goose in among 840 Canada Geese, 51 Black Ducks, 644 Mallards (minimum count), a Hooded Merganser and 23 Common Mergansers. Non waterfowl highlight included a few flyover Horned Larks. I attempted some photos of the more noteworthy birds but the lack of light and clouds made the results less than ideal but I include them anyway because I can.

Although I hoped to turn up a Redhead or Long tailed Duck that have been seen a bit further south along the Connecticut River, I was happy to get the stuff I did find.

 

My luck in finding birds has been fairly good this year with 84 species so far for the year in the county which is just two behind at the same time last year.  Given the lack of irruptive species the fact that this year and last are so close is impressive.  Although I'm not doing another big county year this year (at least that is what I'm telling myself) I'm on track to have another great year for Hampshire County.