Wild Goose Season in Concord: White-Fronted and Barnacle

Concord's location along the Sudbury and Concord rivers, as well as ample farm land, continues to draw in good geese.  Last fall we had a poor goose season due to weather, but we are making up for it this spring.

Chuck Johnson found a Greater White-Fronted goose a week ago on the Concord River by Great Meadows NWR, and while it has been hit or miss, many have seen it. As of 3/30 it has been hanging out in the fields by the old sewage treatment plant by Great Meadows.

Today, March 31, I found a Barnacle Goose by pure chance by the parking lot at Verrill Farm; as I pulled up it was the first bird I saw, but so far it it has not been relocated. Some record shots:

Winter Summary 2014

Winter 2014 continues. Now in the third week of March the impoundments at Great Meadows are still frozen and local ponds only have small sections of open water.  Much of the snowpack has melted, clearing corn fields for arriving geese. Birds are a bit late and the variety has been a bit limited due to limited migration windows (a few warm weekends with SW winds brought in some G-W Teal and Pintails to Nine Acre Corner; Killdeer are here, but in small numbers; no phoebes yet except for that February pioneer).  A very small number of Great Blue Heron have been observed arranging nests. Many Juncos are still here, although Tree Sparrows have gotten scarce.

In short, a slow start to 2014.  As of March 23, with Chuck Johnson's discovery of a Greater White-Fronted at Great Meadows, Ludlow G. has tallied 89 birds compared to 103 by the same date in 2013.  Granted, last winter we had irruptive finches and mild temperatures, but it's a stark difference.

Here's hoping for a good spring migration!