Snow followed by brutal cold

American Kestrel, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Jan 20, 2025

Savannah Sparrow, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Jan 20, 2025

Horned Larks, Honey Pot, Hadley, MA, Jan 20, 2025

Dickcissel, Aqua Vitae Rd, Hadley, MA, Jan 20, 2025

Northern Harrier, Aqua Vitae Rd, Hadley, MA, Jan 20, 2025

Red winged Blackbird with orange face, Aqua Vitae Rd, Hadley, MA, Jan 20, 2025

Wilson tasting the snow, Home, Belchertown, MA, Jan 20, 2025

After getting our biggest storm to date with 6" of snow I headed out in a failed attempt to relocate a record setting late Palm Warbler that turned back up in some farm fields in Hadley after not being seen since New Years Eve.  I managed to make it over to the area in mid morning and had sunny and cold conditions with a lighter than expected wind.  Although I missed out on the warbler I did find several notable species including species #100 for me in Hampshire County with a Vesper Sparrow.  I have only reached 100 species in the county in January once before and that was in 2021 and that year ended with my highest total in January with 105 species.  I also got my first prolonged look (and photos) of the overwintering Dickcissel in Hadley as well as an oddly plumaged Red winged Blackbird that had an orange face.

Common Mergansers, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Jan 21, 2025

Greater Scaup with Common Goldeneyes, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Jan 21, 2025

Greater Scaup with Common Goldeneyes, Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Jan 21, 2025

Winsor Dam, Quabbin Park, MA, Jan 21, 2025

Last night was brutally cold with a low of -9 and not surprisingly most open water froze up with just a few spots along some rivers open and the main water at Winsor Dam being open.  Conditions like this can produce some decent birds as the waterfowl that remain gets forced to come into the little open water available.  I tried to check the dam early but the cold temps kept the view obscured with low fog over the water.  I returned again to Winsor Dam a bit before ten and the views were much better and I immediately turned up some good species with a Greater Scaup hanging with a group of Common Goldeneyes and a Long tailed Duck actively fishing.  As I was getting some video of the distant Long tailed Duck a female Red breasted Merganser flashed past and I was able to follow it in the scope as it disappeared off to the north.  I continued scanning and as I was watching a small group of Hooded Mergansers a female Ruddy Duck flew in and dropped in among the mergansers for perhaps 10 seconds before it lifted back off and flew off to the southwest.  Ruddy Duck is tough to find any time in the county (for some odd reason) so this was the bird of the day for sure.  Certainly worth keeping an eye on the area of the dam as our weather is going to remain bitter cold for multiple days.