Yellow-rumped warbler.

Raining when I awoke, but it cleared off in late morning. And got windy. Windier than yesterday, even. And cold. Worked until I finally called it quits, then jumped in the truck with dog.

Yellow-rumped warbler.

Considering the wind and cold, I was surprised to find several cars in the Beech Hill parking lot. I wasn’t surprised, however, not to encounter many birds. Did hear a crow. Then, after a while, a chickadee. Ascending, I had to clamp my hat down hard to keep it from blowing off my head. Lots of sun, though, which warmed me some. Couldn’t help but notice a gigantic condo-yacht moored in Rockland’s outer harbor.

At the summit, several people were huddled on the porch of Beech Nut. We kept on walking, headed down the wooded trail a ways, where I though we might be out of the wind. And at the sunny corner by the fence, sure enough, we came upon a flock of yellow-rumped warblers. The yellow-rumps were flitting about in a bushy area, jumping occasionally up to small tree branches, occasionally leaping off the branches to flutter after insects. A couple dozen ‘rumps, I’d guess, zipping around in the wind.

As we turned back, I heard a hairy woodpecker’s peent! Then I saw the bird, In fact, the woodpecker seemed to accompanied us nearly all the way back to the top.

Not much else on the way down. Except bright sun. And a hat-battering wind. And a wind-whipped yellow-rump or two.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 4 p.m., I hiked the open trail.

1. American crow*
2. Black-capped chickadee* (v)
3. Yellow-rumped warbler
4. Hairy woodpecker
5. Song sparrow

Elsewhere

6. Herring gull
7. Mourning dove

v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere