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Archive for May, 2011
Sunday, May 22nd, 2011
 Ruby-throated hummingbird. When I first checked out the world this morning, it was dry. That was a switch. The dryness of the world prompted me to rouse Jack for a hike around Beech Hill. But first—wouldn’t you know?—I caught sight of a phoebe zipping silently away from the nest atop my back window. I guess my nest-abandonment worries were unfounded. (Yet again.) Sneaky little birds.
 Common yellowthroat. We descended the back stairs to the accompaniment of the song of the resident house finch. Also noticed a catbird out there (first at my place this year). Saw crows. Heard an ovenbird. And a titmouse.
No vehicles in the Rockville Street parking lot when we arrived—but plenty of warblers in the periphery. Again, in fact, the first several species on my list today were warblers. Also the voices of a robin, a blue-headed vireo, and gulls. A redstart singing near the little brook. A veery in the trees. The usual rose-breasted grosbeak.
As we came around the curve by the big glacial stones and on through the grove of poplars, I paused to scan the canopy; but when I began to walk again, Jack wasn’t ready to go. I looked to see him staring fixedly off into the undergrowth. I know by now to pay attention to such fixed dog stares and finally made out what he was so interested in: a hoary ol’ porcupine was lumbering slowly along about twenty feet off the trail. We stayed to watch it for a while (too much intervening foliage for a photo) before I advised him that porcupines were off-limits and we continued on our way.
As we ascended, the songs kept coming: black-and-white warbler, goldfinch, jay. At one point, I heard the screams of an osprey and looked up to see one carrying a fish on high—and another swooping low over the trees.
The mew! of a catbird, the chip of a white-throat, the liquid notes of a tree swallow. And soon I heard the call of my first Beech Hill waxwing of the season. Perhaps my concerns about a dearth of that species are also unfounded.
Coming around the turn through the upper fields, I heard the faint dee-dee! of a hummingbird—their subtle call of alarm—and we stopped. As I peered in the direction of the call (they’re hard to spot when perching), another one darted by and sat on a twig not far from us, clearly unaware. A female. I got a pretty decent photo.
 Ovenbird. After a day without savannah sparrows, I saw two this morning—but heard none singing. Must be that nesting time of year.
Heard a field sparrow, though, and a red-winged blackbird. Also a cowbird. And a grosbeak singing loudly again from down toward the Beech Hill Road parking lot.
On our return, soon after we entered the lower wooded trail, as we were walking slow, listening, the sound of wingbeats shot past us from behind, and a handsome male pileated woodpecker appeared on the trunk of a fallen tree not very far away. I remembered that my camera can record pretty decent videos and got about thirty seconds of it poking around. Also snapped a few photos.
Down in the deeper woods, I heard the chiming alternate call of a black-throated blue warbler—and then the whistles of a broad-winged hawk. I even spotted the hawk in the distance through the canopy.
Many good birds. A fruitful hike. But it wouldn’t be my last today.
 Pileated woodpecker. Because Jack and I met my friend Liz and her son, Daniel, for a midday stroll through the Ducktrap River Preserve—a place she’d visited for a bird walk last weekend (led by my friend Kristen) but where I’d never been. Again, we were greeted by warblers’ voices, along with the cries of a rising osprey. Black flies decided to swarm, too, which proved a challenge for us humans but no doubt kept the birds happy. Before long, I’d seen my first-of-year Wilson’s warbler. We heard a pair of ravens fly over, heard the drumming of a grouse, and heard the cries of a red-shouldered hawk. I also caught the rattle of a kingfisher down toward the river—another first-of-year bird for me.
As we came through a stretch of tall conifers, blackburnian warblers began to sing from the canopy. Quite a few of them, each with a slightly different very-high-pitched song. They’re such gorgeous little birds but so hard to see—although I think we each got at least a peek.
An hour or so in, with a least flycatcher calling nearby, I pointed out the song of a tanager coming from a wooded slope below us, but it was Daniel who spotted the bird. Also my first tanager of the year.
Not long after the black flies were joined by mosquitos, we decided to turn back. Right about then I heard a low barking call in the distance behind us. A faraway dog or a barred owl? We stopped, listened, and confirmed that, by golly, it was an owl.
 Scarlet tanager. In all, we counted thirty-one species along the Ducktrap today. Another very fruitful hike.
Back home, checking out the nuthatch cavity, I happened to spot a red blotch on the ground between the tree trunks up the back hill. I squinted, but it sat motionless. Some bit of wind-blown trash? Nope. It finally moved. A male cardinal.
And tonight, not long ago—under the first clear sky I’ve seen in more than a week—I heard the flight song of a woodcock.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 9 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Ovenbird
2. Northern parula (voice)
3. Black-throated green warbler (voice)
4. Common yellowthroat
5. Chestnut-sided warbler
6. American robin
7. Blue-headed vireo (voice)
8. Herring gull
9. American redstart
10. Black-and-white warbler
11. Veery (voice)
12. Rose-breasted grosbeak (voice)
13. Blue jay (voice)
14. American goldfinch (voice)
15. White-throated sparrow
16. Osprey
17. Gray catbird
18. Hermit thrush (voice)
19. Tree swallow
20. Black-capped chickadee
21. Mourning dove (voice)
22. Cedar waxwing (voice)
23. Northern flicker (voice)
24. Yellow warbler (voice)
25. Ruby-throated hummingbird
26. Song sparrow
27. American crow (voice)
28. Savannah sparrow
29. Nashville warbler (voice)
30. Red-winged blackbird (voice)
31. Field sparrow (voice)
32. Great crested flycatcher (voice)
33. Chipping sparrow
34. Hairy woodpecker (voice)
35. Eastern phoebe
36. Brown-headed cowbird
37. Pileated woodpecker
38. Black-throated blue warbler (voice)
39. Broad-winged hawk
 Trillium at Ducktrap River Preserve. Ducktrap River Preserve
Beginning at 12 noon, I hiked the trail for a couple hours.
Chestnut-sided warbler
Northern parula
Common yellowthroat
Ovenbird
Osprey
Black-throated green warbler
Black-capped chickadee
Mourning dove
Rose-breasted grosbeak
40. Wilson’s warbler
41. Common raven
Veery
Blue jay
Hermit thrush
American robin
American goldfinch
Nashville warbler
41. Ruffed grouse
42. Magnolia warbler
43. Red-shouldered hawk
44. Least flycatcher
45. Blackburnian warbler
Black-and-white warbler
Northern flicker
46. Belted kingfisher
Blue-headed vireo
47. Purple finch
48. Scarlet tanager
49. White-breasted nuthatch
50. Barred owl
Eastern phoebe
Elsewhere
51. House finch
52. House sparrow
53. Tufted titmouse
54. Double-crested cormorant
55. European starling
56. Mallard
57. Common grackle
58. Northern cardinal
59. American woodcock
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, barred owl, belted kingfisher, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated blue warbler, black-throated green warbler, blackburnian warbler, blue jay, blue-headed vireo, broad-winged hawk, brown-headed cowbird, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common grackle, common raven, common yellowthroat, double-crested cormorant, eastern phoebe, European starling, field sparrow, gray catbird, great crested flycatcher, hairy woodpecker, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, least flycatcher, magnolia warbler, mallard, mourning dove, Nashville warbler, northern cardinal, northern flicker, northern parula, osprey, ovenbird, pileated woodpecker, porcupine, purple finch, red-shouldered hawk, red-winged blackbird, rose-breasted grosbeak, ruby-throated hummingbird, ruffed grouse, savannah sparrow, scarlet tanager, song sparrow, tree swallow, tufted titmouse, veery, white-breasted nuthatch, white-throated sparrow, yellow warbler
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Saturday, May 21st, 2011
 Northern parula. I’m pretty sure the phoebes have abandoned the nest out back. The nest is there, perched above the window, and it looks to be in good shape. But I haven’t seen birds attending it—nor any sitting on it—for a week or more. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, because it can get a little busy out there.
 Black-and-white warbler. The nuthatches, though, are still busy with their cavity. I’ve seen them there pretty much every day, despite the rainy weather.
Speaking of which, thick fog cloaked the landscape again when I first checked this morning. However, within an hour or two, things brightened, and I actually saw shadows. This implausible development prodded me into action, and I got busy with Saturday errands: bottle redemption, trip to the dump, visits to both post offices. Then—in the suddenly warm, humid air, with a hazy sun hanging high—Jack and I kept our daily appointment at Beech Hill.
Warblers right away. In fact, the first four birds I heard singing were warbler species—ovenbird, black-throated green, yellowthroat, parula. In all today, nine warblers at Beech Hill, including a black-throated blue singing its ringing alternate song. (Also heard a redstart back at my place.) Otherwise, the usual suspects: thrushes (robin, veery, hermit, but no wood thrush), rose-breasted grosbeak, catbird, towhee, crow, gull, raven. Oddly, I had no savannah sparrow on my list today. Nor field sparrow. Perhaps this is a silent stretch in their nesting schedule. Meantime, though, I spotted both a blue-headed vireo and a red-eyed—first of the latter I’ve seen there this year.
 Ovenbird. Saw cormorants and an osprey in overflight. Also spotted another hummingbird. Heard a great crested flycatcher. But I got to thinking about two species I’ve missed so far this year: alder flycatcher and cedar waxwing. Because these two appeared on just about every list last year. Unusual. They should’ve made an appearance by now. Have I simply missed them? Did they have a problem during migration? The southern tornadoes, maybe? Something about the BP oil spill? I’ll be keeping my eyes and ears peeled.
I’d worn a hooded sweatshirt, which I had to strip off pretty quick. But just about the time we descended the hill, the sky clouded over again and things grew cool, so I put the sweatshirt back on. Soon it began to mist and dizzle.
Oddly, especially for a Saturday midday, we encountered not a single other human on the hill. Still, I thought thirty-five species a pretty good number of birds for a hike so late in the day.
Tonight, things are about the way they were twenty-four hours ago. Except peepers are singing. And the weather guys are predicting cool, clear conditions for tomorrow.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 11:45 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Ovenbird
2. Black-throated green warbler
3. Common yellowthroat
4. Northern parula
5. American robin
6. Black-capped chickadee
7. Rose-breasted grosbeak
8. Black-and-white warbler
9. Red-eyed vireo
10. Blue-headed vireo
11. Northern flicker
12. Eastern towhee
13. Herring gull
14. Common raven
15. Chestnut-sided warbler
16. Veery
17. Tufted titmouse
18. White-throated sparrow
19. Tree swallow
20. Gray catbird
21. Yellow warbler
22. Song sparrow
23. American goldfinch
24. American crow
25. Song sparrow
26. Eastern phoebe
27. Double-crested cormorant
28. Osprey
29. Nashville warbler
30. White-breasted nuthatch
31. Chipping sparrow
32. Great crested flycatcher
33. Ruby-throated hummingbird
34. Hermit thrush
35. Black-throated blue warbler
Elsewhere
36. House finch
37. House sparrow
38. American redstart
39. Red-winged blackbird
40. Mourning dove
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated blue warbler, black-throated green warbler, blue-headed vireo, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common raven, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, gray catbird, great crested flycatcher, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, mourning dove, Nashville warbler, northern flicker, northern parula, osprey, ovenbird, red-eyed vireo, red-winged blackbird, rose-breasted grosbeak, ruby-throated hummingbird, song sparrow, tree swallow, tufted titmouse, veery, white-breasted nuthatch, white-throated sparrow, yellow warbler
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Friday, May 20th, 2011
 Ruby-throated hummingbird. Woke up, looked out, saw fog. A big, white, drippy miasma of fog. It persisted all day, the fog. I haven’t seen the sun for a week.
But that’s all right. We live on a water planet. Water feeds the plants that provide the oxygen we breathe, that feed us, that sustain the little critters of the woodland. In the clouds of water that surrounded me this morning, the bright song of a house finch echoed through the trees. Crows stalked the dewy grass. Ovenbirds sang loudly out back.
 Savannah sparrow. Went to town for lunch. Gulls, mourning doves, starlings. pigeons.
After work, Jack and I traveled through the fog to Beech Hill. This had to be the thickest fog of the year so far—you couldn’t see very far in front of you. Coming up the drippy trail, though, the birds were vocal. Within a few dozen yards, I heard ovenbirds, a flicker, a black-throated green warbler, and a robin. And my list of species kept climbing as dog and I did. The descending note of a veery. Then another one. Interesting how they tend to rise in pitch, a veery’s notes—ever higher, seemingly, the closer you get.
A yellowthroat, a chestnut-sided warbler. Gulls in the distance. A tufted titmouse off in the trees. At one point, an ovenbird flitted up into a small branch directly in front of us, but I couldn’t focus fast enough and missed the photo.
A hermit thrush singing. The notes of white-throated sparrows. More veeries. Veeries all over the hill today.
At the upper fields, I heard catbirds and song sparrows and more yellowthroats. Spotted a little hummingbird zipping across against the fog (first hummingbird sighting on the hill for me this year). A wood thrush singing from the same place as yesterday. The savannah sparrow was hopping around the grass in front of Beech Nut, as it’s been doing every day for the past week or so.
Descending, I heard the distant voice of a cardinal. More gulls. The voice of a goldfinch in overflight. Blue jays. Crows.
Down the lower wooded trail, I heard another black-throated green (or perhaps the same bird) and the single call of a parula. As we neared the parking lot, I heard a singing rose-breasted grosbeak. Then, out of nowhere, a hairy woodpecker called.
 New oak leaves. Back home: foggy. An ovenbird going nuts out there (they were having little territorial battles on Beech Hill also). And a veery singing up the hill. Singing. Such a lovely song.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 5:15 p.m., I hiked the wooded trails.
1. Ovenbird
2. Northern flicker (voice)
3. Black-throated green warbler (voice)
4. American robin (voice)
5. Eastern towhee
6. Herring gull (voice)
7. Veery
8. Black-capped chickadee
9. White-throated sparrow
10. Black-and-white warbler
11. Common yellowthroat
12. Chestnut-sided warbler (voice)
13. Tufted titmouse (voice)
14. Hermit thrush (voice)
15. Gray catbird
16. Ruby-throated hummingbird
17. Song sparrow
18. Wood thrush (voice)
19. Savannah sparrow
20. Northern cardinal (voice)
21. Blue jay (voice)
22. American crow (voice)
23. American goldfinch (voice)
24. Northern parula (voice)
25. Rose-breasted grosbeak
26. Hairy woodpecker (voice)
Elsewhere
27. House finch
28. Mourning dove
29. European starling
30. Rock pigeon
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, chestnut-sided warbler, common yellowthroat, eastern towhee, European starling, gray catbird, hairy woodpecker, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, northern cardinal, northern flicker, northern parula, ovenbird, rock pigeon, rose-breasted grosbeak, ruby-throated hummingbird, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, veery, white-throated sparrow, wood thrush
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
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| 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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