7 November 2026

Archive for the ‘Poem’ Category

Marco Polo

Thursday, January 19th, 2017
Black-capped Chickadee, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 18 January 2017.

Black-capped Chickadee.

Last night it snowed a bit,
and this morning the birds came out,
and I saw them, many birds,
and heard their small voices—
well, except the jay, whose voice was large.

Yellow-rumped Warbler, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 18 January 2017.

Yellow-rumped Warbler.

A kinglet came quite near,
four Yellow-rumped Warblers flew over,
tardily southbound,
and a fifth posed for a blurry photo.

Chickadees flitted everywhere, everywhere.
They draw out other birds, the chickadees,
other little birds that follow them around
because chickadees play the game
of Marco Polo: “Marco!” “Polo!”

I saw all but two of the dozen birds
on my list today. And I got a few
half-decent photos.
And in my mind I hear “Marco!” “Polo!”

American Robin, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 18 January 2017.

American Robin.

Beech Hill List

Beginning at 10:30 a.m., I hiked the open trail.

1. Black-capped Chickadee**
2. White-breasted Nuthatch**
3. Blue Jay (v)
4. American Robin
5. Hairy Woodpecker
6. Golden-crowned Kinglet
7. American Crow*
8. Northern Flicker
9. Yellow-rumped Warbler
10. Tufted Titmouse
11. American Goldfinch (v)
12. Downy Woodpecker

 

v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere

 

Robins, Robins Everywhere

Monday, January 9th, 2017
American Robin, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 09 January 2017.

American Robin.

They’ve been around for a few weeks now, the robins.
They hang with waxwings or European Starlings,

or, rather, the waxwings and starlings hang with them.
Mostly they just mutter and squeal among themselves.

They’ve stripped fruit from berry scrub and ornamentals,
the robins. They roam. They wound up in my back yard

this morning, the robins. They dined on berries there.
And then, as quickly as they came, the robins vanished.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 1 p.m., I hiked the open trail.

1. Black-capped Chickadee** (v)
2. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
3. American Crow*
4. American Robin
5. Northern Flicker (v)

Elsewhere

6. House Finch (v)
7. European Starling
8. Rock Pigeon
9. Herring Gull

v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere

 

Ice-slick Trails

Wednesday, January 4th, 2017
Northern Shrike, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 04 January 2017.

Northern Shrike.

Ice-slick Beech Hill trails today,
but neither Jack or I fell down.
Lots of young moms with little kiddos,
which made me nervous as I passed,
but I’m pretty sure none of them fell down either.

Giant flocks of robins in flight,
and the shrike made another appearance,
this time atop the same young oak
where kestrels perch in spring
and a barred owl stopped a few winters ago.

At home, a flock of waxwings.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 9:45 a.m., I hiked the open trail.

1. Mourning Dove
2. Black-capped Chickadee**
3. American Crow*
4. American Robin*
5. Northern Shrike
6. Blue Jay (v)

Elsewhere

7. Cedar Waxwing
8. Herring Gull
9. European Starling

v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere

 

 
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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