Up early, thanks to a little sun leaking through the blinds. However, by the time Jack and I got to Beech Hill, we were surrounded by fog. Not thick fog, but mist, grayness, dampness. However, the rain had passed and a whole new gang of migrants were moving through. Right away, in fact, I heard what sounded like a red-eyed vireo—and my binoculars helped me confirm it. First first-of-year species of the day.

Just in the sugarbush near the parking lot, I heard multiple warblers: ovenbird, black-throated green, parula, chestnut-sided, black-and-white, yellowthroat, blackpoll. (An aside: I love the call of a blackpoll—the sharp, steady, monotone notes, rising in intensity, then diminishing again.) Saw an osprey fly over in the mist. Heard a raven.

About half way up, I had to stop in the leafing-out trees because of the wave of warblers moving through. Black-throated greens, chestnut-sideds, yellows, black-and-whites, Nashvilles. While attempting photos of all the canopy-foraging birds, I heard the unmistakable ch-bek! of a least flycatcher. First-of-year bird No. 2.

Heard a turkey, heard a ruby-crowned kinglet. Lots more birds flitting through the trees just below the summit. As we reached that summit, a scattering of sparrows flew, and one perched up ahead of us: a white-crowned. Another first-of-year species.

Heard another prairie warbler coming down the open trail. Heard a black-throated blue warbler. The redstart and a turkey were hanging around down at the Beech Hill Road parking lot. Lots more warblers down there, too, in fact—including a Wilson’s that posed for a photo in its jaunty toupee. The fourth (and final) first-of-year bird of the day.

Got to thinking what’s still missing. Alder flycatcher, for one thing. Scarlet tanager, for another. Black-billed cuckoo. Pretty sure I’ve heard or seen all the other common Beech Hill birds—thanks to a big day today.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:45 a.m., I hiked all trails.

1. Tufted titmouse** (v)
2. Ovenbird**
3. Black-throated green warbler**
4. White-breasted nuthatch (v)
5. Eastern towhee
6. Northern parula**
7. Red-eyed vireo†
8. Blackpoll warbler (v)
9. Black-and-white warbler**
10. Chestnut-sided warbler**
11. Blue jay
12. Osprey
13. Rose-breasted grosbeak (v)
14. Common yellowthroat**
15. Common raven
16. Gray catbird
17. Veery
18. American crow*
19. American redstart
20. White-throated sparrow
21. Nashville warbler
22. Yellow warbler**
23. Mourning dove*
24. Black-capped chickadee**
25. Least flycatcher† (v)
26. Yellow-rumped warbler
27. Blue-headed vireo
28. Wild turkey
29. Northern cardinal**
30. Ruby-crowned kinglet (v)
31. Song sparrow**
32. American robin**
33. Savannah sparrow
34. White-crowned sparrow†
35. American goldfinch (v)
36. Hermit thrush (v)
37. Prairie warbler (v)
38. Black-throated blue warbler (v)
39. Purple finch (v)
40. Wilson’s warbler†
41. Brown-headed cowbird (v)
42. Eastern phoebe
43. Chipping sparrow**
44. Broad-winged hawk (v)

Elsewhere

45. House finch (v)
46. Herring gull
47. Double-crested cormorant
48. European starling
49. Rock pigeon
50. Common grackle

v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird

OK, I’ll admit that I’ve reached the age that I’ve actually begun compiling a (secret, informal) sort of bucket list. Visit the five U.S. states I haven’t yet set foot in is on there, for instance. Travel to New Zealand. Stuff like that. Also take a decent, not-too-blurry photo of an American woodcock.

Little did I expect to cross that one off this morning.

Rose a little late, didn’t get to Beech Hull until shortly before 7 a.m. Found plenty of sunshine, plenty of arriving warblers—was even pleased to hear the wheep! of a first-of-year great crested flycatcher soon after Jack and I began our hike. Had quite a list by the time we reached the summit, if only some barely presentable photos of a couple warblers and a vireo. It wasn’t for lack of trying. I spent many minutes standing, waiting, watching, camera at the ready. Oh, well. Lovely hike.

Then we made a quick return up to the summit and started back down through the spruce grove and instinctively I stopped. Because I’d seen a dark shape near the grassy trail. An American woodcock.

It was just sitting there. Unmoving. I snapped off some photos then moved closer. Didn’t move. Frozen. Looked to be watching us, though—i.e., it wasn’t dead. I didn’t think it was injured, either. Then I thought this must’ve been a mother hen with chicks nearby, but I didn’t bother to look for the chicks. I just closed in and took more photos (with Jack obediently and uncomplainingly staying well away). Finally, when I’d about filled up my camera card, I slowly reached out my hand toward the bird—and it let out a long string of shit while flapping madly away on whistling wings.

We didn’t stick around for fear of jeopardizing her little brood. But it sure was nice to have recorded her funny little no-neck face and long nose (resting in the grass) and large, dark, moist eyes.

Last year, a woodcock moseyed up the trail ahead of us and perched cooperatively on a mossy stone, but I couldn’t get my camera to auto-focus on the damn bird. I figured this one would take me a while.

So, yeah. Woodcock. Photograph. Thanks, universe.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7 a.m., I hiked all trails.

1. Ovenbird
2. Black-throated green warbler
3. Tufted titmouse
4. Northern parula
5. Great crested flycatcher
6. Black-capped chickadee
7. Chestnut-sided warbler
8. Eastern towhee
9. Black-and-white warbler
10. Rose-breasted grosbeak
11. Veery
12. Blue jay
13. American crow
14. Northern cardinal
15. American redstart
16. Common yellowthroat
17. Yellow warbler
18. American goldfinch
19. Mourning dove
20. Nashville warbler
21. Hairy woodpecker
22. Yellow-rumped warbler
23. Gray catbird
24. Savannah sparrow
25. Tree swallow
26. Blue-headed vireo
27. American robin
28. Eastern phoebe
29. Song sparrow
30. Field sparrow
31. Herring gull
32. Chipping sparrow
33. White-throated sparrow
34. Brown-headed cowbird
35. American woodcock

Elsewhere

36. House finch
37. European starling
38. Rock pigeon

v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird