More new arrivals in the valley

Fox Sparrows, Great Pond, Hatfield, MA, Mar 11, 2016

Fox Sparrow, Great Pond, Hatfield, MA, Mar 11, 2016

Red tailed Hawk at nest, Great Pond, Hatfield, MA, Mar 11, 2016

Black Vulture, Moody Bridge Rd, Hadley, MA, Mar 11, 2016

Black Vultures (one at bottom and two on top) and Turkey Vultures, Moody Bridge Rd, Hadley, MA, Mar 11, 2016

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Mar 11, 2016

Ring necked Ducks, Beaver Lake, Ware, MA, Mar 11, 2016

I spent the morning into the afternoon exploring many areas around the valley with several highlights.  I added two new species for the year with the sighting of Fox Sparrow (#103) and Tree Swallow (#104).  A total of 51 species for the day with eleven species of waterfowl.  Below are the highlights at various stops:

Beaver Lake- 33 Ring necked Ducks and a Common Goldeneye.

Quabbin Park- 37 Common Mergansers, 4 Bufflehead and 2 Common Loons.

Moody Bridge Rd, Hadley- 3 Black Vultures.

Meadow St fields- 1250+ Canada Geese, 4 Killdeer and 22 Horned Larks.

Great Pond- 5 Fox Sparrows.

CT River, Hadley- 15 Wood Ducks and 17 Green winged Teal.

Lake Wallace- 23 Hooded Mergansers

Swift River,Ware- 2 Tree Swallows (my earliest ever date for this species here..beat 2006 and 2012 by a day)

Yesterday I added species #102 when I had a Cackling Goose in among a group of Canada Geese in the river.  I only had the bird in view for a minute before the entire group of geese took off toward the southeast.