It is Thursday morning, the day that Doug and I usually go out birding and I do some photography. This morning, the weather was overcast cloudy with some drizzle. Our plan for the day was to meet at my house and then travel into Middleborough, Massachusetts to bird around Cumberland Fields, which is an IBA (Important Bird Area). Our first stop on the way to the Cumberland fields was Oliver Mills Park. The area was loaded with gulls mainly Great-Back Gulls,

and Herring Gulls along with Great Blue Heron's, who were there to feed on the migrating Herring.

Around the edge of the Cumberland fields, there was a group of Wild Turkeys foraging, and what was interesting, it was a group of 3 males without any females.

Walking the fields one of the most interesting sites was the large number of black birds that were present, sitting in the trees and flying around and making a huge racket, that had to be over 1000 blackbirds present.

Most of the passerines that we observed were extremely skittish and did not stay still long enough to obtain pictures. A flight of 3 great blue Heron's flew overhead and gave an opportunity to photograph them.

The area, which is usually its wet was almost dried up and, except for Killdeers there were no other shorebirds present.
Our next location was the pond at Jenney's Mill in Plymouth. The mute swans were already nesting.

There were 4-5 Great Blue Herons present, including one in beautiful breeding plumage.

Also present at scattered throughout the pond were Double-crested Cormorant, who were displaying their dark nuptial crests which gave them their name.

Some of the subspecies will have white nuptial crests. The male Ring-neck Duck that has been present during the winter was still present, and also developing breeding plumage.