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Archive for August, 2011
Sunday, August 28th, 2011
 Jack on the trail. Before bed last night, somewhat sheepishly, I pulled down a few storm windows, unconvinced that Tropical Storm Irene would hit us all that hard. But a time or two overnight I did awaken to the sound of heavy rain. This morning, though soggy, held only a cloying fog. Hardly a whiff of wind in the heavy, humid air.
 American robin. After breakfast and a passing shower, figuring we’d take advantage of what (from the online weather radar) seemed a bit of a lull, I took Jack with me to Beech Hill. The sky beyond Clam Cove seemed to be brightening, but the hill was socked in. You could see maybe a hundred yards. Just a hint of of breeze. Right away I heard the voices of a goldfinch and a waxwing—as usual—and soon after, surprisingly, the sudden song of a common yellowthroat.
As we crested the rise in the trail, the wind picked up. You could hardly see a thing—I couldn’t even make out the shape of Beech Nut until we got very near. I marveled at how thick fog can persist even with a stout wind blowing like that. Just blowing the fog along, I guess. Over the hill, I heard the wind-blown caw of a crow. Then a catbird. Finally got a look at my first species of the day when a pair of waxwings flew over, calling.
Ate a few blackberries and blueberries then heard the note of a robin. It flitted into a tree above us, silhouetted against the gray sky. It and the waxwings would be the only birds I’d see up there.
 Moth. We turned back and I felt a spattering of rain. The wind had gotten gusty, so we picked up our pace. Chickadee and cardinal rounded out today’s list.
It didn’t rain long, and then the wind began to blow. Not too awful strong—I’d guess gusts might’ve reached 40 or 50 miles an hour, tops—but the wind soon began to dry the landscape. Tonight, it’s blowing still. Not a hurricane-force blow, but a fairly big one.
Tomorrow’s supposed to be a sunny, breezy day.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 11:30 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. American goldfinch (voice)
2. Cedar waxwing
3. Eastern towhee (voice)
4. Common yellowthroat (voice)
5. American crow (voice)
6. Gray catbird (voice)
7. American robin
8. Black-capped chickadee (voice)
9. Northern cardinal (voice)
Elsewhere
10. Herring gull
 Oak.
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, black-capped chickadee, Cedar waxwing, common yellowthroat, eastern towhee, gray catbird, herring gull, northern cardinal
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Saturday, August 27th, 2011
 Black-and-white warbler (female). Foggy in the morning. Kind of thick-seeming air. I puttered around a bit and then figured I should get some gas and a few important groceries (i.e., beer) before any hurricanes and/or tropical storms arrive this weekend. Lots of traffic on the roads, but I got in and out of both gas station and supermarket in pretty good time.
 Savannah sparrow. Since my friend Liz was in the neighborhood, she met Jack and me this mid-afternoon for our daily hike. Quite a few cars in the lot, hikers and dogs on the trail, a cedar waxwing in the tip of a tree by the road. Also goldfinches flying around up there somewhere. Being sort of a novice birder, Liz has to suffer through my little identification tips—like the way goldfinches sing when they fly with a sound that reminds me of “perk chickory!”
“Hear that?” I’d say when the sharp chip! of a savannah sparrow sounded from a blueberry field. “Savannah sparrow.” And down by the blackberries, where I knew common yellowthroats hang out, I played a yellowthroat call on my iPhone, and sure enough a couple began flitting about in the understory.
I must kind of like to show off or something.
We did get nice looks at a couple savannah sparrows. Heard a catbird. I saw a flicker hurry away from the trail ahead of us (although Liz missed that one). And then we saw a line of double-crested cormorants.
 Bee. Returning, I heard some high, percussive chips in the canopy down in the woods, and we stopped. I remarked that the notes sounded like warblers, but I wasn’t sure what species. Unless they were black-and-whites. Which I thought maybe they were, but I couldn’t put ’em on my list without confirmation. Sure enough, the warblers came near—near enough to spot. And, by golly, it was a little family of black-and-white warblers. I was pretty proud of that ID.
“I’m pretty proud of that ID,” I said.
When one of the birds perched overhead, I managed to snap a couple shady photos—but I was surprised to see it was a red-eyed vireo. Another bird on the today’s list. We also heard the tseet! of a white-throated sparrow, the call of a chickadee, and the bright notes of another vireo down by the parking lot. Then a family of about a half-dozen jays appeared, jeering at each other rather quietly (for jays). All in all, a pretty fruitful birding day.
Only later, when I looked at my photos, did I realize the “vireo” I’d photographed was, in fact, a black-and-white warbler. A female. Guess I’m not so infallible, after all.
 Two islands. Tonight, not long ago, it began to rain lightly. A faint rush in the foliage. A calm night—but the cool air feels faintly thick and tropical. I suppose that’s because this is the leading edge of a massive tropical storm.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 3:30 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Cedar waxwing
2. American goldfinch (voice)
3. American crow (voice)
4. Savannah sparrow
5. Eastern towhee
6. Common yellowthroat
7. Gray catbird
8. Northern flicker
9. Double-crested cormorant
10. Black-and-white warbler
11. White-throated sparrow
12. Red-eyed vireo (voice)
13. Black-capped chickadee (voice)
14. Blue jay
Elsewhere
15. House sparrow
16. Herring gull
17. Rock pigeon
18. Laughing gull
19. Northern cardinal
20. Mourning dove
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, Cedar waxwing, common yellowthroat, double-crested cormorant, eastern towhee, gray catbird, herring gull, house sparrow, laughing gull, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern flicker, red-eyed vireo, rock pigeon, savannah sparrow, white-throated sparrow
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Friday, August 26th, 2011
 American kestrel. Sunlight streamed through the blinds this morning. Hardly a cloud in the sky. Got breakfast, got down to my desk. Some Fridays are kind of relaxing, work-wise, but this was not one of those. Unexpected tasks cropped up. Kept me hopping. Finally—as the day warmed to near 80 degrees (F), I’d guess—I decided to go out cycling. But first I had to change my back tire.
 Beech Nut. Not a problem. Lovely day. Not a lot of breeze. Did my usual fast fourteen miles—crows, goldfinches, osprey, gulls—and returned in the glow of endorphins.
Soon after, I closed up shop for the week, grabbed my dog, and made the short drive to Beech Hill. As we turned into the parking lot, a chickadee flitted across the road in front of us. A sign of birdiness, perhaps? Before we’d gone a couple hundred yards, my list had as many birds as yesterday’s. A hairy woodpecker calling across the road was a nice switch. And coming up the open trail, I spotted an osprey flying with a purpose out over the eastern slope. Moments later, another raptor—a kestrel—flew by, closer, in the opposite direction. I watched it dive and soar as it headed down over the south hillside. Nice.
We topped the hill and dipped down to where the blackberries grow. Ate a dozen or so (still a fruitful crop). Then I heard a couple yellowthroats chipping in deep brush. I stood for a good five minutes waiting for one to pop up for a photo, but none would cooperate. However, while I waited, a hummingbird suddenly zipped across at weed-top level, hovered a minute, and moved on.
 Savannah sparrow. Heard a towhee and catbird down there, too. And walking back up and over, I heard a blue jay (nice) and saw a chipping savannah sparrow, And near at the parking lot, as I tried, through binoculars, to ID a warbler flitting about in a tree across the road, a robin flew through my field of view.
And then I heard the croack of a raven. And actually got a look at the big black bird as it flew low from southeast to northwest—where I have a hunch they’ve got a nest. More than three times as many birds on the hill today than yesterday. Were they simply taking advantage of the glorious weather? Or perhaps (also) readying for a coming storm?
Tonight is starry and still. Just about the opposite of the conditions we’re led to expect for two nights from now.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 5:45 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Black-capped chickadee
2. American goldfinch (voice)
3. Cedar waxwing
4. Hairy woodpecker (voice)
5. Song sparrow
6. Osprey
7. American kestrel
8. American crow
9. Eastern towhee (voice)
10. Common yellowthroat
11. Gray catbird (voice)
12. Ruby-throated hummingbird
13. Blue jay (voice)
14. Savannah sparrow
15. American robin
16. Northern raven
Elsewhere
17. House sparrow
18. Herring gull
19. Mourning dove
20. Northern cardinal
21. Green heron
 Apple, Beech Hill, Rockport, Maine, 26 August 2011.
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American kestrel, American robin, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, Cedar waxwing, common yellowthroat, eastern towhee, gray catbird, green heron, hairy woodpecker, herring gull, house sparrow, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern raven, osprey, ruby-throated hummingbird, song sparrow
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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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