Berkshire Lakes

Clouds and comfortable conditions greeted the eight members for the first fall trip to Berkshire Lakes.  It was a slow start at Laurel Lake with only Mallards in view, but Stockbridge Bowl had 6 Green-winged Teal and a Great Blue Heron in the marsh.  We rode over Stockbridge Mountain to find 10 more Green-winged Teal in Fairfield Pond.  Richmond had 3 Ravens and a Coot, in the marsh , while on the pond was a Red-breasted Merganser.  Going overhead we noted a flock of a hundred Cedar Waxwings and four flocks of Bluebirds totaling about 50.  The count of Ring-necked Ducks at Mud pond was a cool 1100.  The south end of Onota Lake had a Common Loon and a Bonaparte’s Gull while the north end had 20 Hooded Mergansers, 8 Green-winged Teal, a Pied-billed Grebe, and another lone Coot.  The northwest corner of Pontoosuc had small groups of Common and Hooded Mergansers, along with another Red-breasted Merganser.  We were welcomed to Ann Connors house for views of a young White-crowned Sparrow and a Fox Sparrow.  Northeast Pontoosuc had another Common Loon and a third Red-breasted Merganser, this one a young male.