Area Birding Expedition
March 29, 2008

Mark Taylor recently led members of the Athol Bird & Nature Club on a successful birding expedition in the Millers and Connecticut watersheds. Although the day was colder than the last several January trips, the group saw over 40 species, including plenty of migrating ducks and geese.

Highlights were a merlin and a new bald eagle’s nest at Northfield Farms – one adult eagle appeared to be sitting on the nest, one flying – and bohemian waxwings, two among a flock of cedar waxwings at Barton’s Cove, then a flock of over 200 in an orchard on Rte. 63 in Northfield.

Area ponds are still frozen, but several pond species (wood ducks, mallards, and pintails) were seen in running water. Divers (hooded and common mergansers, ringnecks, buffleheads, and goldeneyes) were observed in the open water in Barton's Cove and a pied-billed grebe in the Millers River in Orange.

Also observed were a few snow geese mixed in with hundreds of Canada geese at Bennet Meadow, and two fox sparrows were heard in Wendell.