White-crowned sparrow (imm.).

Long, nice day. Warm. Couldn’t resist hopping on the bicycle for about an hour of it. Enjoyed that a lot. Other errands. By day’s end, I decided it was time to hit the open Beech Hill trail for a change.

Birch.

Wasn’t expecting as many birds as we encountered, Jack and I. Distant voices at first, but then some sparrows showed up. Among a few song sparrows, I spied a bird with distinct white wing bars and confusing (to me) markings. Pinkish bill (field sparrow?), partial dark eye line (chippy?), whitish throat. Didn’t get a look at the front of the bird before it flew—but I did get some photos. Later, after consulting my field guide, I decided to call it a field sparrow and posted the photo on Facebook. Didn’t take long for my bird-ID expert friend Derek to correct me. It was a young white-crowned. First of the species I’ve seen on the hill.

We ran into my friend Mark up there, whom I hadn’t seen since Monhegan a few years ago, and had a nice conversation while walking up and down. Around us at the summit flew a scattering of yellow-rumps. Below us the hillsides showed the reds and yellows of early fall. Then, just as we’d arrived again at the road, I spotted a solitary harrier sailing where we’d been walking a few moments before back up the hill.

Little birds along the road (including what sounded like a kinglet, but we couldn’t be sure). And, finally, a downy woodpecker in a tree above the parking lot.

As I steered the pickup onto the road, a group of twenty or thirty migrating sparrows flitted away.

Tonight, the moon is high and Venus is rising.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 5 p.m., I hiked the open trail.

1. American crow*
2. Black-capped chickadee** (v)
3. Blue jay** (v)
4. Chipping sparrow
5. Song sparrow
6. Yellow-rumped warbler
7. Northern harrier
8. White-breasted nuthatch
9. Downy woodpecker (v)

Elsewhere

10. Herring gull
11. Rock pigeon

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