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Archive for April, 2013
Sunday, April 21st, 2013
 Crown and raven. Up on on the hill early today. A cloudless, chilly morning. Birds awaited.
I recorded the most daily species all year, in fact—including a number of first-of-year birds (including ruby-throated kinglet, field sparrow, and Savannah sparrow). Heard a couple of birds I didn’t recognize, too, so probably the total exceeded the thirty-two on my list. Migrants flooding northward, their songs are ringing down the barren hillsides, that familiar spring excitement.
Yellow-rumps flitting through. A kestrel on the sod roof of Beech Nut. But the most excitement came after I heard the croak of a raven and looked up to see the big black bird being harassed by a smaller black crow. Several times I’ve watched ravens fly upside-down, but it never ceases to amaze.
Chilly and starry tonight.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. American robin* (v)
2. Hermit thrush
3. Eastern phoebe**
4. Black-capped chickadee**
5. Wild turkey (v)
6. White-breasted nuthatch** (v)
7. Ruffed grouse (booming)
8. American crow*
9. Eastern towhee (v)
10. Northern flicker
11. Mourning dove* (v)
12. Yellow-rumped warbler
13. Ruby-throated kinglet†
14. Song sparrow**
15. Blue jay** (v)
16. American kestrel
17. Tufted titmouse** (v)
18. Field sparrow†
19. Greater yellowlegs (v)
20. American goldfinch** (v)
21. Tree swallow (v)
22. White-throated sparrow (v)
23. Downy woodpecker (v)
24. Dark-eyed junco (v)
25. Northern cardinal** (v)
26. Common raven
27. Savannah sparrow†
28. Turkey vulture
29. Golden-crowned kinglet (v)
30. Herring gull* (v)
31. Hairy woodpecker (v)
32. Broad-winged hawk (v)
Elsewhere
33. House finch (v)
34. European starling
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American kestrel, American robin, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, broad-winged hawk, common raven, dark-eyed junco, downy woodpecker, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, European starling, field sparrow, golden-crowned kinglet, greater yellowlegs, hairy woodpecker, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern flicker, ruby throated kinglet, ruffed grouse, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tree swallow, tufted titmouse, turkey vulture, white-breasted nuthatch, white-throated sparrow, wild turkey, yellow-rumped warbler
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
Saturday, April 20th, 2013
 Yellow-rumped warbler. Awoke to the sound of rain. Didn’t rain for long, turned overcast, dried up pretty quickly. Spent most of the day doing type design at my kitchen table. The sun peeked through a time or two.
Late in the day, Jack and I took our Beech Hill hike. Partly cloudy, partly sunny, partly windy. Birdy. Fifteen species in all, in fact—including a first-of-year singing white-throated sparrow. Also a wave of yellow-rumped warblers, flitting and chipping and singing, a couple-three dozen of them. This is the only time of year I hear ’em sing.
A pair of kestrels hovered over the barren slopes as we returned to m pickup. Tonight’s sky is a starry one.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 4:15 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. American crow*
2. Black-capped chickadee** (v)
3. Song sparrow**
4. Northern flicker (v)
5. Eastern phoebe
6. American kestrel
7. Hairy woodpecker (v)
8. American robin* (v)
9. White-throated sparrow† (v)
10. Yellow-rumped warbler
11. Osprey
12. Eastern towhee (v)
13. Mallard
14. White-breasted nuthatch
15. Tufted titmouse (v)
Elsewhere
16. Herring gull
17. House sparrow (v)
18. European starling
19. Rock pigeon
20. Common loon
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird
Tags: American crow, American kestrel, American robin, black-capped chickadee, common loon, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, European starling, hairy woodpecker, herring gull, house sparrow, mallard, northern flicker, osprey, rock pigeon, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch, white-throated sparrow, yellow-rumped warbler
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Friday, April 19th, 2013
 Hermit thrush. Sun and cloud today. Chill and warmup. Work inside and hike outside. Town birds and country birds. At Beech Hill: first-of-year hermit thrush.
Beech Hill List
Breginning at 4 p.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Herring gull* (v)
2. Black-capped chickadee**
3. Eastern phoebe** (v)
4. Yellow-rumped warbler
5. Song sparrow* (v)
6. American kestrel
7. Northern flicker (v)
8. Tufted titmouse** (v)
9. Eastern towhee (v)
10. Hermit thrush†
11. Broad-winged hawk† (v)
12. Northern cardinal** (v)
13. American crow* (v)
Elsewhere
14. Mourning dove (v)
15. House finch (v)
16. European starling
17. House sparrow (v)
18. Rock pigeon
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird
Tags: American crow, American kestrel, black-capped chickadee, broad-winged hawk, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, European starling, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern flicker, rock pigeon, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, yellow-rumped warbler
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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