 |
| Golden Eagle (middle..really!) with Bald Eagle on carcass, viewed from Enfield Lookout, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 9, 2014 |
 |
| Golden Eagle (middle...really!) with Bald Eagle on carcass, viewed from Enfield Lookout, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 9, 2014 |
 |
| Bald Eagles on carcass, viewed from Enfield Lookout, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 9, 2014 |
 |
| Bald Eagles (and ravens and crows) on carcass with coyotes coming in from left, viewed from Enfield Lookout, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 9, 2014 |
 |
| Bald Eagles (and ravens and crows) on carcass with coyotes coming in from left, viewed from Enfield Lookout, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 9, 2014 |
 |
| Enfield Lookout, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 9, 2014 |
 |
| Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 9, 2014 |
 |
| Snow Buntings, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 9, 2014 |
 |
| Snow Buntings, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 9, 2014 |
 |
| Snow Buntings, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 9, 2014 |
Another sign of the upcoming spring occurred this morning with the arrival
of daylight savings time which gives us an extra hour of daylight in the evening at the
expense of light in the morning. I stayed close to home this morning and hit
several different spots including the Swift River, Beaver Lake, Quabbin Park and
Covey WMA. I only found a few species of waterfowl along the Swift River with
nothing out of the ordinary but with several fisherman around I was not too surprised. My stop at Beaver Lake only turned up eight each
of Hooded Merganser and Mallard in the marsh below the spillway. I then headed
over to the frozen Quabbin Reservoir with the main focus being stationary counts
at Enfield Lookout and Winsor Dam. As soon as I got to the Enfield Lookout I
noticed a large carcass way out on the ice (perhaps near gate 15?) with a few
birds around it. I set up the scope and had three eagles initially which
included a Golden Eagle! I tried to get some diagnostic photos but the distance
was just too far and the light too poor. The Golden Eagle was obvious with its
golden head but with the distance so great I really wanted better looks. After
several minutes four more Bald Eagles flew in and the Golden Eagle flushed up
and flew around showing the smaller head, golden nape and different build
compared to the nearby Bald Eagles. The Golden Eagle then flew to some nearby
trees and perched as more Bald Eagles continued to arrive with the highest
number reaching eight. Besides the eagles there were at least a half dozen
Common Ravens and dozens of crows taking in the bounty of the carcass. The activity also attracted the attention of
three coyotes that flushed all the birds up as they came in to
feed. I would assume the carcass was a deer but it could have been a
moose. With the coyotes continuing to feed I left the area and headed over to
Winsor Dam where I had another Bald Eagle, 15 Snow Buntings, a Common Grackle
and three more coyotes moving east and then turning north (perhaps heading up to
join the others?). A few walks at Covey WMA with Wilson didn't turn up anything
unusual. I heard later from both Scott S. and Steve M. that they had the Golden Eagle
at Enfield Lookout around 1pm as it flew around and eventually headed
north.
 |
| Red breasted Nuthatch, Belchertown, MA, Mar 9, 2014 |
Among the birds at the feeders at home was a Red breasted Nuthatch....one of only a handful I have seen around so far this year anywhere in western Mass.
Thank you Larry! You answered my question. I live near Quabbin and thought I had seen a golden eagle on different occasions. I was told by other local that they never come around these parts. Nice pics by the way!
ReplyDelete