It’s that time of year when the new foliage has somehow, miraculously, gone from buds to half-full-blown canopy, when warblers sing from every twig, when first-of-year migrating species seem to appear every day (Eastern Kingbird today). And Chestnut-sided Warblers at Beech Hill Preserve—many of them. So many I’m tempted to proclaim them the most abundant nesting species on the hill.
And other birders. (Jack and I had a nice hike up with one this morning.)
And photos. A time of photos.
Here are a few.
Northern Flicker.
Black-and-white Warbler.
Eastern Towhee.
Red-tailed Hawk.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7 a.m., I hiked all trails.
Up a little later—7:30 a.m.—and by that time the sun had been up a while, and the air was sort of luke warm, and there was a breeze, but I decided on a t-shirt anyway. Got windier as we climbed the hill, and the wind was from the wrong direction, and I really didn’t expect a load of new birds—but right away, I had a first-of-year Red-eyed Vireo.
Eastern Phoebe.
Toward the summit, coming around a curve, dog and I came upon a turkey. Just sitting there, six feet off the trail. I stopped and told Jack, “Wait,” which was the bird’s cue to get up and leave. Dang.
Windy at the summit. Clouds blew over and it rained a little. A spattering. Met up with some hiking friends, chatted a bit. Not a load of birds, but a pretty good collection.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:30 a.m., I hiked all trails.
Up early, to Beech Hill right away, found it cold and foggy. Birds were about—but I heard sixteen species before I saw a single one. Eventually, the daylight brightened a little (still overcast), and I got decent looks at most of the species on today’s list. Bad auto-focus on my squeaky old camera, though, cost me dead-on shots of a Swainson’s Thrush and a Northern Parula.
Oh, well. I got me a sweet female Black-and-white Warbler.
Also ran into some birding friends coming up the other trail. Funnily, we were observing the same singing Rose-breasted Grosbeak from different sides of the tree. Got a little video of the grosbeak.
Also heard a first-of-year Yellow Warbler today—but not yet at Beech Hill. This one was singing across the road from my place later on a day turned warm.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 6:30 a.m., I hiked all trails.
