Another cold morning in the valley

Cedar Waxwing, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 22, 2015

Cedar Waxwing, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 22, 2015

Canada Goose with extensive white on head, Connecticut River, Hadley, MA, Mar 22, 2015

Wild Turkeys, Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, MA, Mar 22, 2015

Bald Eagles at deer carcass, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 22, 2015

Despite the calendar saying it is now spring the weather continues to feel more like winter with temperatures in the 20's today with a strong northwest wind with wind chills down in the single digits.  I needed to run some errands over in Hadley so I took the opportunity to make a few stops over that way this morning.  I started out long the still nearly frozen solid Connecticut River where I found the following waterfowl- 931 Canada Geese (the individual with an extensive amount of white on its head in among them), 3 Black Duck, 7 Mallard, 8 Ring necked Ducks plus around 160 gulls including one Iceland Gull (no Great Black backed Gulls this morning...almost all gulls were Herring Gulls with just a few Ring billed Gulls) plus a vocal Peregrine Falcon.  The nearby Honey Pot area was quiet as were the fields though Hadley into North Hadley except for Mill Valley Road were I had 121 Canada Geese, 43 Wild Turkeys in one flock plus some flyby Horned Larks.  The fields near the mall had a small group of Horned Larks plus a single Snow Bunting in among them.  The UMASS campus pond held four Canada Geese and 78 Mallards.  Overall very slow for waterfowl in the valley for this date in March but given the still large snow pack and extensive ice on most every body of water it is not too surprising.

A small example of what could (or should be here) be here this time of year can be found in some posts from last year: 
March 21st - http://quabbinbirdingandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/03/first-full-day-of-spring.html
March 24th - http://quabbinbirdingandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014/03/pink-footed-goose-another-epic-day-of.html

March 22, of 2013 http://quabbinbirdingandbeyond.blogspot.com/2013/03/another-greater-white-fronted-goose-and.html

Hopefully the waterfowl activity picks up in the next week or two.

On my way back home I stopped at Winsor Dam in hopes of finding some Bohemian Waxwings feeding there but only managed to find 32 Cedar Waxwings.  In addition I had four Bald Eagles (and a number of crows) feeding on a deer carcass way out on the frozen reservoir.

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 21, 2015

Yesterday I spent a short time out in the morning despite the continued light snow with stops along the Swift River and Winsor Dam.  Highlights along the Swift Rive included 7 Black Ducks, 31 Hooded Mergansers, a pair of Bald Eagles (possibly will nest here?), a flyby raven and 27 Red winged Blackbirds (mostly flybys).  Winsor Dam was quiet but the snow made visibility low so could not see much.