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Archive for May, 2013
Saturday, May 25th, 2013
 Red-eyed vireo. More rain today. Cooler, windier. Steady mist. The Beech Hill trails were like streams this afternoon. I haven’t seen the bay since last weekend. Fog, fog, fog. Birds, though. Still birds. Some inspiring little moments among vireos and warblers and hummingbirds.
Every year in Maine is different. This is the one with the really rainy spring.
(More of the same is forecast for tomorrow.)
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 3:30 p.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Common yellowthroat
2. American robin
3. Ovenbird**
4. Chestnut-sided warbler
5. Black-capped chickadee
6. Red-eyed vireo
7. Northern parula
8. Black-and-white warbler (v)
9. Veery (v)
10. Eastern towhee
11. American crow* (v)
12. American redstart (v)
13. Ruby-throated hummingbird
14. Gray catbird**
15. Field sparrow (v)
16. Osprey
17. Song sparrow**
18. Herring gull*
19. Northern flicker (v)
20. Savannah sparrow
Elsewhere
21. House finch (v)
22. Mourning dove
23. Common grackle
24. European starling
25. House sparrow
26. Mallard
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American crow, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, chestnut-sided warbler, common grackle, common yellowthroat, eastern towhee, European starling, field sparrow, gray catbird, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, mallard, mourning dove, northern flicker, northern parula, osprey, ovenbird, red-eyed vireo, ruby-throated hummingbird, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, veery
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Friday, May 24th, 2013
 Chestnut-sided warbler. Rained all day. Tried to coordinate my hike with Jack with a weather radar image that showed a letup, but it drizzled on us the whole way up and down the hill. Still there were birds. A veery singing very near the trail. Several warblers, a couple sparrows. And hummingbirds.
The first hummer zipped by near the summit—down and over the hill. The second and third buzzed swiftly by as we walked down to where the trail follows the field edge, with dripping, blooming apple trees and highbush blueberries lining the tangled side. In all, I must’ve heard or seen a dozen ruby-throated hummingbirds, at least. Lots of chases. Territorial behavior, I imagine. It was awesome.
Never got even a chance at a photo because of their speed and stealth and the dimness and drippiness and drizzle. But I did get a shot of a wet chestnut-sided warbler.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 5 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Veery (v)
2. Common yellowthroat
3. American robin
4. Chestnut-sided warbler
5. Eastern towhee
6. Yellow warbler
7. Eastern phoebe
8. Black-throated green warbler (v)
9. Savannah sparrow
10. Ovenbird (v)
11. Song sparrow (v)
12. Ruby-throated hummingbird
13. Gray catbird (v)
14. Field sparrow (v)
15. Black-capped chickadee
16. Yellow-rumped warbler
Elsewhere
17. House finch (v)
18. American crow
19. Northern cardinal (v)
20. Herring gull
21. House sparrow (v)
22. Mourning dove
Tags: American crow, American robin, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, chestnut-sided warbler, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, field sparrow, gray catbird, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, mourning dove, northern cardinal, ovenbird, ruby-throated hummingbird, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, veery, yellow warbler, yellow-rumped warbler
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Thursday, May 23rd, 2013
 Eastern towhee. More rain, damp, foggy weather—but warmer today than the past few. Heard a lot of birds out there while working at my desk and around my place, including laughing gulls.
 Least flycatcher. Jack and I dashed off to foggy Beech Hill in early afternoon, where we met up with our friends Liz and Daniel. Quite a few birds there, as well, judging from the chorus in the greening trees: several warblers, quite a few sparrows, couple of finches, even a tree swallow flying over. Ascending, I heard another tanager down the southern slope. A phoebe is tending a nest in the eaves of Beech Nut, and robins have hanging around the hut, as well. In a wide lovely pastel green-gray field just below the summit, we saw two crows diving at something on the ground—turned out to be a raven. I think it might’ve been raiding a new grassland nest down there.
Liz and Daniel returned down the open trail, while Jack and I took to the woods. Just before we did, I got a listen to the peep! note of a (first-of-year) alder flycatcher and saw a hummingbird speed by. And down in the trees I added a couple more flycatchers—great crested and least—to my list. (There were plenty of mosquitos buzzing around down there, that’s for sure.)
On our way back up, I heard the call of a pileated woodpecker and then the sound of it hammering on a tree. Tried to track it down, but it was well off-trail and hidden by sudden foliage. Nice sound to listen to anyway.
Still warm this evening, still damp and humid. I heard Canada geese fly by a little while ago.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 2:15 p.m., I hiked all trails.
1. American goldfinch (v)
2. Nashville warbler
3. Eastern towhee
4. American robin*
5. American redstart
6. Chestnut-sided warbler
7. American crow*
8. Black-throated green warbler (v)
9. Purple finch (v)
10. Tufted titmouse**
11. Yellow warbler**
12. White-throated sparrow (v)
13. Ovenbird** (v)
14. Tree swallow
15. Black-capped chickadee (v)
16. Chipping sparrow (v)
17. Song sparrow**
18. Scarlet tanager (v)
19. Savannah sparrow
20. Blue jay*
21. Eastern phoebe
22. Northern flicker (v)
23. Gray catbird**
24. Northern cardinal** (v)
25. Common raven
26. Alder flycatcher (v)
27. Ruby-throated hummingbird
28. Veery (v)
29. Osprey (v)
30. Hairy woodpecker (v)
31. Great crested flycatcher (v)
32. Herring gull*
33. Red-eyed vireo (v)
34. Black-and-white warbler
35. Least flycatcher
36. Hermit thrush (v)
37. Pileated woodpecker (v, and drumming)
Elsewhere
38. House finch (v)
39. Laughing gull
40. European starling
41. Herring gull
42. Mourning dove
43. Common grackle
44. Double-crested cormorant
45. Great black-backed gull
46. Canada goose (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, Canada goose, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common grackle, common raven, double-crested cormorant, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, European starling, gray catbird, great black-backed gull, great crested flycatcher, hairy woodpecker, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, laughing gull, least flycatcher, mourning dove, Nashville warbler, northern cardinal, northern flicker, osprey, ovenbird, pileated woodpecker, purple finch, red-eyed vireo, ruby-throated hummingbird, savannah sparrow, scarlet tanager, song sparrow, tree swallow, tufted titmouse, veery, white-throated sparrow, yellow warbler
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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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