4 October 2023

Jays

October 3rd, 2023
Blue Jay, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 03 October 2023.
Blue Jay in the canopy.

Another bright, breezy fall morning—but a bit warmer than yesterday. The winds were still unfavorable, migration-wise, but birds were about. Three species in particular were active: chickadees, yellow-rumps, and jays.

The Blue Jays were especially vocal and traveled in little roving bands. I even heard one deliver a pretty accurate Broad-winged Hawk whistle.

Smart birds, jays (as are all corvids). I often wonder what’s on their minds.

Beech Hill List
Starting at 7:30 a.m. EST (8:30 DST), I hiked all trails.

1. Blue Jay**
2. Hairy Woodpecker
3. Black-capped Chickadee**
4. American Crow* (v)
5. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
6. Hermit Thrush
7. Yellow-rumped Warbler
8. Brown Creeper (v)
9. American Goldfinch (v)
10. Northern Flicker (v)
11. White-throated Sparrow (v)
12. Tufted Titmouse (v)

Elsewhere

13. Northern Cardinal (v)
14. Herring Gull
15. Rock Pigeon

Mammals

Eastern Chipmunk

(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere

†First-of-year

Butter Butts

October 2nd, 2023
Yellow-rumped Warbler, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 02 October 2023.
Yellow-rumped Warbler.

They’re everywhere at this time of year. I’m talking about Yellow-rumped Warblers—a.k.a. (in the lingo of my birding crowd) “Butter Butts” or just “’Rumps.” There they were on this nippy, breezy, cloudless morning, flitting about in their drab fall plumage, delivering their familiar dry chip notes, by far the most abundant of the migratory species.

Also had white-throats and kinglets again, heard the voice of a Red-shouldered Hawk, had a couple other cool migrants. But just about everywhere dog and I walked, we were accompanied by yellow-rumps.

Will miss them when they’re gone.

Beech Hill List
Starting at 7:48 a.m. EST (8:48 DST), I hiked all trails.

1. Yellow-rumped Warbler**
2. Black-capped Chickadee (v)
3. Tennessee Warbler
4. Blue Jay** (v)
5. White-breasted Nuthatch**
6. Hermit Thrush
7. Red-eyed Vireo (v)
8. Philadelphia Vireo
9. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
10. White-throated Sparrow
11. Eastern Towhee (v)
12. American Crow* (v)
13. Northern Flicker (v)
14. Song Sparrow
15. Red-shouldered Hawk (v)

Elsewhere

16. Northern Cardinal (v)
17. Herring Gull

Mammals

Eastern Chipmunk

(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere

†First-of-year

Flitting Things

October 1st, 2023
Black-capped Chickadee, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 01 October 2023.
Black-capped Chickadee.

This morning dog and I hiked a calm, cool quiet, early autumn trail. Migration was going on—many yellow-rumps, a kinglet, White-throated Sparrows—but after four sweet days on an island, it felt mostly like being back amid close family.

Best family photo? A close-up of a resident chickadee.

[On our morning hike, I dropped my Garmin device. Didn’t notice till we got back to the truck. So in afternoon, I went back without Jack—and, by golly, someone had found it and left it on a bench at the hut. Added a raven.]

Beech Hill List
Starting at 8:03 a.m. EST (9:03 DST) and again at 1:09 (2:09), I hiked all trails.

1. American Goldfinch (v)
2. White-throated Sparrow
3. Black-capped Chickadee**
4. Hermit Thrush
5. Yellow-rumped Warbler
6. Hairy Woodpecker
7. Ruby-crowned Kinglet (v)
8. American Crow*
9. Gray Catbird
10. Eastern Towhee (v)
11. Blue Jay** (v)
12. Song Sparrow
13. Eastern Bluebird
14. Tufted Titmouse (v)
15. White-breasted Nuthatch** (v)
16. Common Raven

Elsewhere

17. Mallard
18. Northern Cardinal (v)
19. Herring Gull
20. House Sparrow (v)

Reptiles

Garter Snake

(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere

†First-of-year

 
Bird Report is a (sometimes intermittent) record of the birds I encounter while hiking, see while driving, or spy outside my window. —Brian Willson



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