Beech Nut.
Fog horns again this morning. Peered through the blinds and saw more snow. Or rain. No, snow. Or maybe both snow and rain. You know it’s getting late in the season when you can’t tell the difference.
Snowy trail.
What began as wet snow and briefly became cold rain turned back into wet snow—which commenced to falling for most of the morning and on into afternoon. Crows frolicked in it. And I happened to see a gull far above the little collection of houses far across the road. Otherwise, most humans and other creatures laid just a little low today. And I can’t say as I blame ’em.
Jack and I, too. However, we did tear ourselves loose late in the day to run some errands. (Ring-bills at the grocery store.) And at last, finally, we made our way to Beech Hill.
It was 5 p.m. (ET) by the time we got there. The precipitation, which had been falling all day, suddenly let up, and a fog rolled in. I’d brought my heavy jacket, but turns out I didn’t need it. I did, however, need snowshoes.
Took two tries to make it into the parking lot. None had been there before us, as far as I could see. The trail was slush, the new snow soggy and full of water. The dripping of the trees on the lower trail was about the only sound I could hear. And so we slogged on up. Heavy going, but good exercise. With evening approaching and new wet snow everywhere, everything glowed a lovely slate blue.
Spruce.
We made our own trail. It took a little effort. Jack, especially, had to bound and charge and slog. A couple times he took to following my snowshoe track. But before long we reached the summit, where Beech Nut sat impassively. You couldn’t see the bay—could barely see the lower eastern slope.
And so we turned, retraced our steps down. (Much easier for Jack.) It didn’t take us long. Then, back at the pickup, I stood listening for a moment but heard no birds. Only the faint rush of car tires and the distant whine of a snow-blower.
When we arrived home, I heard the house finches calling again, as they have been lately. In a few weeks, they’ll be warbling all day.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 5 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
No birds seen or heard on the hill today.
Elsewhere
1. American crow
2. Herring gull
3. Ring-billed gull
4. House finch
Jack on the Beech Hill trail.
