Lady's slipper.
The day dawned sunny. We hit the Beech Hill trail early, and in a hurry, on account of I had a bird walk to lead for the Georges River Land Trust at 9 a.m. at the Thorndike Brook access point of the Georges Highland Trail.
Magnolia warbler.
We walked kind of fast at first, with many species calling after yesterday’s rain. Heading left toward the upper trail, I heard and saw a little bevy of small insectivores up in the trees. Chestnut-sideds were singing, and a black-and-white, a red-eyed vireo, a black-and-white warbler—and a song I didn’t recognize. It took a while to spot the singing magnolia warbler responsible for the sound. Maybe I can remember it for next time.
A white-throated sparrow, a drumming grouse—raven, thrush, and dove. At one point, Jack paused and looked around, and his hackles rose high. I looked around also but saw nothing. Had he caught the scent of something? Did he see a moose? I could’ve asked him, but he would’ve refused to answer.
I listed twenty-five species on our quick trip up and down. Within an hour, I was headed up Route 17 to the Thorndike Brook access point of the Georges Highland Trail.
Red-eyed vireo.
A good group showed up, from quite young to well-seasoned. Perhaps the most knowledgeable birder there besides me and Douglas (who also came) was an impressively well-versed boy of ten or twelve, who knew calls, spotted hard-to-spot birds, and actually taught me a thing or two. At one point I heard a sweet, musical song I didn’t recognize, the group looked off in that direction, and the kid said, “I see a brown creeper.”
Sure enough, that’s what was making the call.
We heard and/or saw vireos and thrushes and warblers—including blackburnian warblers in the same two spots Douglas and I encountered them Monday. But the most exciting moment for by far was when I heard the plaintive woodland call of an eastern wood-pewee, a first-of-year bird. I simply love the little nondescript flycatcher’s mood-inducing song.
The temperature climbed into the 70s (F). Mosquitoes were out. Dragonflies were testing their wings. In twilight—which seemed to linger—a group of wispy pink clouds hung in a southern sky the color of a luminous ocean. Or something like that. I truly lovely sky.
Common yellowthroat.
Beech Hill List
At 6:15 a.m., I walked the wooded trails.
1. Common yellowthroat
2. American crow (voice)
3. Ovenbird (voice)
4. Chestnut-sided warbler
5. Yellow warbler (voice)
6. American goldfinch (voice)
7. American robin
8. Veery (voice)
9. Red-eyed vireo
10. Black-and-white warbler (voice)
11. American redstart (voice)
12. Blue jay (voice)
13. Magnolia warbler
14. Eastern towhee
15. White-throated sparrow (voice)
16. Ruffed grouse (drumming)
17. Gray catbird
18. Black-capped chickadee
19. Mourning dove
21. Common raven
22. Nashville warbler (voice)
23. Song sparrow (voice)
24. Tufted titmouse (voice)
25. Hermit thrush (voice)
26. Wood thrush (voice)
Georges Highland Path List
At 9 a.m., I walked via the Thorndike Brook access point.
Tufted titmouse (voice)
Common yellowthroat (voice)
Chestnut-sided warbler
American crow (voice)
27. Bald eagle
American goldfinch
Ovenbird (voice)
Blue jay (voice)
Black-capped chickadee
28. Cedar waxwing (voice)
Eastern towhee
Black-and-white warbler
29. Black-throated green warbler (voice)
Song sparrow (voice)
30. Great blue heron
Red-eyed vireo
American redstart (voice)
Nashville warbler (voice)
31. Black-throated blue warbler (voice)
32. Brown creeper
American robin
33. Tree swallow
Hermit thrush (voice)
Wood thrush (voice)
Common raven
34. Eastern wood-pewee
35. Blackburnian warbler
36. Turkey vulture
37. Dark-eyed junco
Elsewhere
38. House sparrow
39. Herring gull
40. Northern cardinal
41. European starling
42. Rock pigeon
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, bald eagle, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated blue warbler, black-throated green warbler, blackburnian warbler, blue jay, brown creeper, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, common raven, common yellowthroat, dark-eyed junco, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, European starling, gray catbird, hermit thrush, herring gull, house sparrow, magnolia warbler, mourning dove, Nashville warbler, northern cardinal, ovenbird, red-eyed vireo, rock pigeon, ruffed grouse, song sparrow, tree swallow, tufted titmouse, turkey vulture, veery, white-throated sparrow, wood thrush, yellow warbler
