It was a cool and overcast morning, a kind of weather I truly love to hike in. Something about that layer of clouds above makes me feel safe, like a soft, protective ceiling. And Captain Jack, with his thick fur coat, liked the coolness.
Yesterday’s wayward solo lark appeared again. So did at least one raven—and, most surprisingly, a Sharp-shinned Hawk. I heard a jay first, just ahead of us around a leafy corner, then the hawk. It’s bright rapid cries made me stop in my tracks. I peaked around the leafy corner, and danged if the bird didn’t allow me a decent photo.
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:08 a.m. EST (8:08 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Gray Catbird (v) 2. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 3. Black-capped Chickadee** 4. American Crow* (v) 5. Common Yellowthroat (v) 6. Song Sparrow 7. Blue Jay** 8. Horned Lark 9. Yellow-rumped Warbler 10. Northern Flicker (v) 11. Common Raven 12. American Goldfinch** 13. Eastern Towhee (v) 14. Red-eyed Vireo (v) 15. Sharp-shinned Hawk 16. American Robin (v) 17. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 18. Tufted Titmouse (v)
This first day of autumn brought a morning much like yesterday’s: sunny, cool, and fragrant. It also brought a surprising bird species: a Horned Lark. They’re not rare on the hill, but they typically come in small flocks. I rarely see just one, as I did today. An immature male, the bird was poking around the edges of the main trail—and at one point got very near to dog and me as we stood still, and I took photos.
Another oddball was a Nashville Warbler (haven’t seen any since spring, and few then), adult and juvie Hermit Thrush, and a bunch of the usual suspects.
All in all, a fun one.
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:24 a.m. EST (8:24 DST), I hiked all trails.
In summer, yellow-rumps and kinglets tend to hang out in coniferous forests, so I typically only see them during migration. The last white-throat I saw or heard was in spring (they’re very good at hiding out in summer). Of course there’ve also been hawks moving through, and vultures.
Perhaps most telling: Tomorrow is the first day of fall.
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:40 a.m. EST (8:40 DST), I hiked the wooded trails.
