Around south Quabbin

Red breasted Mergansers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, Apr 18, 2014

Red breasted Mergansers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, Apr 18, 2014

Red breasted Merganser, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, Apr 18, 2014

After running some errands I decided to make another stop by Winsor Dam and I managed to find a few decent birds including a couple Red breasted Mergansers including a oddly plumage bird that appeared to be a juvenile male in a transitional plumage...looking like it had a couple black eyes.  Other birds of note included a couple Common Loons, a Spotted Sandpiper that flew along the shore calling but never stopped and a few migrant raptors.

Mallard at the top of tree, Covey WMA, Belchertown, MA, Apr 18, 2014

 

Rusty Blackbird, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 18, 2014

Tree Swallows, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 18, 2014

Earlier in the day I spent my morning visiting various areas around Quabbin with stops at Covey WMA, Beaver Lake, Lake Wallace and Quabbin Park.  Highlights included the following:  Covey WMA- a female Mallard sitting at the top of a 50' tree, a couple Blue gray Gnatcatchers, Palm and Pine Warblers and an Eastern Towhee.  I tried for both Virginia Rail and American Bittern but no luck this time.  Beaver Lake- a pair of Bufflehead. Quabbin Park- four Bufflehead, three Common Loons, a few Ruby crowned Kinglet, a few Pine and Yellow rumped Warblers and a couple Eastern Towhee.  Lake Wallace- a Northern Rough winged Swallow, 525+ Tree Swallows (a minimum count...they were everywhere), a Bank Swallow, a Barn Swallow, a Gray Catbird, a Louisiana Waterthrush, three Palm Warblers, 9 Yellow rumped Warblers and four Rusty Blackbirds.

Link to video of swallows:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/54277284@N05/13925013895/

Winsor Dam at sunset, Apr 18, 2014

Winsor Dam at sunset, Apr 18, 2014

Winsor Dam at sunset, Apr 18, 2014

I took a ride over to Winsor Dam at dusk and found the water dead calm allowing for nice views of the sunset and any bird life on the water.  In addition to a few loons, ducks and gulls I had a Cliff Swallow moving by with Tree Swallows.  The Cliff Swallow became my fifth new species today for the year for Hampshire County.