Wampanoag Audubon Sanctuary 10/30

I hawkwatched from 10AM to just after 1PM today, at the Wampanoag MAS in Gardner,and despite the strong southwest wind averaging ~15MPH, there was a fair movement of hawks. The flight was more or less in slow motion, as these determined raptors had to fight a tough head wind. Of course this allowed for prolonged views and it kept them fairly low.

A Northern Goshawk, a handsome adult, passed low overhead, though it did not look to be a migrant, as it passed from west to east, eventually dropping into the trees. These few fuzzy shots do not justify the view "in person".

The "gos" overhead...

...soaring..
headed east...
Just after the "gos" passed a juvenile Bald Eagle came into view, from the northeast passing closely over headed southwest.
This photo, nearly the same "pose" as yesterday's Golden Eagle from Mt. Watatic, note the larger headed and billed Bald's head protrudes so much more than the Golden for 10/29.
You don't get'em much closer than this...

Red-tail hawks...no surprise in late October...were the most numerous hawk species today.

One of 25 Red-tailes that passed, not bad considering the tough head wind.

While making a "pit stop" near the adjacent forest, I noticed this "odd-ball" leucistic Black-capped Chickadee. I have come across more than 1/2 dozen of odd plumaged chickadees over the years.

Note the pink feet!

Mottled black and white head....

..an eyestripe... must be trick or treating as a Mountain Chickadee this year!?

The hawk total from today:

Turkey Vulture 2

Bald Eagle 2 (1 Juv. and 1 Adult)

Sharp-shinned Hawk 5

Red-Shouldered Hawk 1

Red-Tailed Hawk 25

also, not migrating an Osprey thats been hanging out at Lake Wampanoag for the past few weeks and the Goshawk.

Pine Siskin 5, American Crow 194 migrating and of course many robins!