Waterfowl continues to arrive in the valley

Common Loon, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 4, 2016

Ring necked Ducks, Beaver Lake, Ware, MA, Mar 4, 2016

Hooded Mergansers, Beaver Lake, Ware, MA, Mar 4, 2016

Bufflehead, Beaver Lake, Ware, MA, Mar 4, 2016

Common Loons, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 4, 2016

River Otter, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 4, 2016

Mute Swan, Lake Warner, Hadley, MA, Mar 4, 2016

Green winged Teal, Hadley, MA, Mar 4, 2016

Mallard, Hadley, MA, Mar 4, 2016

Canada Geese, Hadley, MA, Mar 4, 2016

I spent the morning out exploring multiple locations looking primarily for waterfowl.  I managed a total of thirteen species with the following highlights- 18 Ring necked Duck and a couple Bufflehead at Beaver Lake, half a dozen Common Loons at Quabbin Park, a little over 600 Canada Geese in several groups in various fields in Amherst and Hadley, a pair of Green winged Teal along the river in Hadley and a Northern Pintail in the Swift River in Ware.  Nothing too unusual but the numbers and diversity continue to climb slowly.  Also had a few woodcock at various locations predawn.

Wilson cleaning up the dusting of snow, Belchertown, MA, Mar 4, 2016

Wilson and I also took a couple walk late in the morning as a light snow continued to fall...Wilson was happy to help clean up the snow where he could.

Canada Goose with extensive white on head, Oxbow, Northampton, MA, Mar 3, 2016

Canada Goose with extensive white on head, Oxbow, Northampton, MA, Mar 3, 2016

Common Mergansers, Oxbow, Northampton, MA, Mar 3, 2016

Yesterday I stopped at Arcadia before work and after finding the marsh void of birds I went to the nearby oxbow which featured 36 Canada Geese (including one with extensive white on the head), 8 Black Ducks, 18 Mallards and 104 Common Mergansers.