Warm weather continues for the last couple weeks

Merlin, East Meadows, Northampton, MA, Jan 17, 2017

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Jan 17, 2017

Northern Mockingbird, Pulaski Park, Holyoke, MA, Jan 20, 2017

Common Goldeneyes, Quabbin Park, MA, Jan 22, 2017

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Jan 25, 2017

Ring necked Ducks, Beaver Lake, Ware, MA, Jan 27, 2017

Our warmer than average January has continued with temperatures 15+ degrees above average for several days during the last week...just fine as far as I'm concerned.  Quabbin continues to be totally ice free and even some small lakes and ponds have lost some (or even most) of their ice.  It looks like it will cool to near normal temperatures over the weekend and into next week.  I have gotten out a little the last couple weeks with a few highlights but nothing extraordinary.  Without too much effort I have managed to find 78 species in the county so far this year which is about ten below my previous best years at this point but still a fairly respectable total.

Jan 19- a Merlin in the East Meadows.

Jan 20- Long eared Owl continued in Belchertown and 21 Black Ducks, 290 Mallards, 4 Common Goldeneyes, a Bufflehead, 23 Hooded Mergansers, a Red breasted Merganser, 322 Common Mergansers at Quabbin Park plus a fruitless search for a reported Common yellowthroat at Pulaski Park in Holyoke.

Jan 21- Red headed Woodpecker continuing at Lake Wallace along with a couple Red winged Blackbirds and a single Common Grackle.

Jan 22- 19 Black Ducks, 220 Mallards, a Bufflehead, 92 Common Goldeneyes, 77 Hooded Mergansers, 151 Common Mergansers and a Hermit Thrush and a couple Purple Finches at Piper Conservation Area (along with 25+ deer ticks between Wilson and I...most I have ever picked up in January).

Jan 27- Three Ring necked Ducks at Beaver Lake.