A cool, cloudless morning greeted dog and me as we headed up the wooded trail. By “cool,” I mean mid- to upper-50s (F). But once we hit the open fields, the sun warmed us up a bit—and, considering his thick coat, Jack didn’t much mind the little chill.
Birds were about, and moving. Notable, today, were the three flycatchers that showed up. In the woods, a wood-pewee perched on a snag and sang, occasionally making a quick flight to catch a fly. Nearing the summit, I caught sight of a young Alder Flycatcher (a species that prefers open areas)—and, nearby, a Least Flycatcher.
Between those three species and the waxwings that perched high in the summit spruce grove and dined on a fly hatch, the population of flies dipped quite a bit today.
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:20 a.m. EST (8:20 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. White-breasted Nuthatch** 2. Black-capped Chickadee 3. Blue Jay (v) 4. Downy Woodpecker (v) 5. Red-eyed Vireo (v) 6. American Goldfinch 7. Eastern Wood-pewee 8. Tufted Titmouse (v) 9. Black-and-white Warbler 10. Gray Catbird** 11. Eastern Towhee 12. Cedar Waxwing 13. Alder Flycatcher 14. Song Sparrow 15. American Crow* (v) 16. Veery (v) 17. Common Yellowthroat 18. American Robin 19. Turkey Vulture 20. Northern Flicker (v) 21. Ruby-throated Hummingbird 22. Least Flycatcher
Elsewhere
23. Herring Gull 24. Belted Kingfisher
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Rain showers were in the forecast for this warmish morning, so dog and I didn’t waste any time in getting up the switchback. The overcast persisted, but no precipitation fell in our vicinity. Still, I didn’t expect to end up with many wild critters on my list.
I was wrong: plenty of bird species popped up (many willing to pose), and a Rock Squirrel made its first appearance in a while.
Notable were a softly singing Townsend’s Solitaire, a Juniper Titmouse, and a female Cassin’s Finch awaiting our return to the trailhead.
Would that tomorrow’s might be this fun.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 8:38 a.m. (MST), I hiked several hundred feet up a mountain.
