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Archive for June, 2013
Monday, June 24th, 2013
 Ovenbird. We arrived at Beech Hill before 8 this morning, Jack and I, but already the air had gone steamy. Mosquitos swirled as we walked quietly up the wooded trail. At this point, we’re kind of used to mosquitos swirling.
 Pileated woodpecker. The birds were sure making themselves scarce, though. They’ve got nestlings to worry about feeding, of course, and fledglings to keep track off, and all the while predators to look out for. Must be a stressful time of year. Good thing they’re good at hiding and can fly.
Most of my sightings today involved fleeting glimpses of birds flitting off behind foliage or amid the wooded canopy. For instance, the Blackburnian warbler, which was still singing up there.
Notable was a stretch on our return where a bunch of woodpecker species all showed up simultaneously: hairy, pileated, flicker. At one point I could see all three at the same time, in the same direction. I also picked out the high-pitched pewee—as I have just about every day lately—and got scolded by another pair of ovenbirds.
The temperature this afternoon approached 90 degrees (F). Humid. Rode eighteen miles on my bicycle, though, and loved it—thanks in no small measure to evaporative cooling.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7:45 a.m., I hiked the wooded trails.
1. Red-eyed vireo**
2. Ovenbird
3. Common yellowthroat**
4. Veery
5. Black-capped chickadee** (v)
6. American goldfinch
7. Gray catbird**
8. Eastern towhee
9. Black-and-white warbler (v)
10. Chestnut-sided warbler** (v)
11. American robin**
12. Eastern wood-pewee
13. Alder flycatcher (v)
14. Yellow warbler
15. Hermit thrush (v)
16. Cedar waxwing** (v)
17. Northern flicker
18. Hairy woodpecker
19. Song sparrow** (v)
20. House finch** (v)
21. Field sparrow (v)
22. Savannah sparrow (v)
23. Eastern phoebe** (v)
24. American crow* (v)
25. Northern cardinal** (v)
26. Blackburnian warbler
27. Black-throated green warbler** (v)
28. Scarlet tanager
29. Purple finch (v)
30. Tufted titmouse** (v)
31. Mourning dove* (v)
32. American redstart** (v)
33. Pileated woodpecker
Elsewhere
34. Blue jay (v)
35. Herring gull
36. European starling
37. Chipping sparrow (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, blackburnian warbler, blue jay, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, European starling, field sparrow, gray catbird, hairy woodpecker, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern flicker, ovenbird, pileated woodpecker, purple finch, red-eyed vireo, savannah sparrow, scarlet tanager, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, veery, yellow warbler
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Sunday, June 23rd, 2013
 Savannah sparrow, Beech Hill Preserve. Early rain, late hike. Not so many birds singing in late-afternoon, and they’re really shy at this nestling/fledgling season, and the mostly overcast sky kept the mosquitos swarming—but I had a quiet blast in the woods.
 Tiger swallowtail. Heard a nearby black-throated blue warbler, is what started it. As I cast about for the bird, I heard another Blackburnian, and so was casting about for two tiny warblers in the leafy canopy. Also a hermit thrush was singing nearby, and I heard what sounded like a chipping sparrow. Jack and I ventured off-trail—when suddenly a red-bellied woodpecker appeared out of nowhere, silently drilling for something. Did catch site of the Blackburnian. Got a blurry photo of the black-throated blue. A nuthatch showed up suddenly. The thrush flitted away.
Ad I did confirm the chippy.
Returning, the sun emerged, and I got a portrait of a Savannah sparrow.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 4:30 p.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Red-eyed vireo (v)
2. Black-throated green warbler (v)
3. Common yellowthroat (v)
4. Veery
5. Osprey
6. American crow*
7. Ovenbird (v)
8. Rose-breasted grosbeak (v)
9. Black-capped chickadee (v)
10. Hermit thrush
11. Black-and-white warbler (v)
12. Eastern wood-pewee
13. American robin**
14. Chestnut-sided warbler
15. Black-throated blue warbler
16. Blackburnian warbler
17. Red-bellied woodpecker
18. White-breasted nuthatch
19. Chipping sparrow
20. American goldfinch**
21. Gray catbird**
22. Eastern towhee
23. Alder flycatcher (v)
24. Yellow warbler**
25. Song sparrow**
26. Savannah sparrow
27. Tufted titmouse**
28. Field sparrow
29. Eastern phoebe** (v)
30. American redstart (v)
31. Mourning dove*
32. Northern cardinal** (v)
Elsewhere
33. House finch (v)
34. Herring gull
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated blue warbler, black-throated green warbler, blackburnian warbler, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, field sparrow, gray catbird, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, mourning dove, northern cardinal, osprey, ovenbird, red-bellied woodpecker, red-eyed vireo, rose-breasted grosbeak, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, veery, white-breasted nuthatch, yellow warbler
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Saturday, June 22nd, 2013
 Eastern wood-pewee. A hazy, humid morning. Slept in a little and kind of expected other hikers to have gotten the jump on Jack and me—but we only saw one other person on the trail, and she came by as we neared the end of our two-plus hours up there.
 Common yellowthroat. Warm. Muggy. Mosquitos and deer flies. The sun strove to crack the clouds but never really managed it. Still there were birds about.
The highlight was probably another Blackburnian warbler—third of the year—flitting around high in the canopy down the lower wooded trail. Man, those guys are hard to take pictures of, especially when there’s not a lot of light. While I stood angling for a photo is when the other hiker passed.
Savannah sparrow on the roof of the hut. Yellowthroat with a mite or tick larva near its eye. And along the open trail, a common ringlet (a little butterfly I only got to know today).
It cooled off as the day progressed. Took care of some Saturday chores and then headed out on a long bicycle ride. Any cooler, and I might’ve felt uncomfortable—however, I still worked up a good sweat.
Everybody’s talking about this year’s super moon. Too cloudy tonight, but maybe tomorrow evening.
 Common ringlet. Beech Hill List
Beginning at 8:30 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Black-throated green warbler** (v)
2. Red-eyed vireo**
3. Chestnut-sided warbler
4. American crow*
5. Ovenbird**
6. Common yellowthroat**
7. Veery
8. Black-and-white warbler
9. Downy woodpecker
10. Gray catbird**
11. Scarlet tanager (v)
12. Eastern towhee
13. Eastern wood-pewee**
14. American redstart**
15. Alder flycatcher (v)
16. Mourning dove*
17. Yellow warbler**
18. Black-capped chickadee (v)
19. American goldfinch (v)
20. Blue jay (v)
21. American robin**
22. Song sparrow**
23. Eastern phoebe**
24. Savannah sparrow
25. Northern flicker
26. Tufted titmouse (v)
27. Northern cardinal** (v)
28. Rose-breasted grosbeak (v)
29. Field sparrow
30. House finch (v)
31. Brown-headed cowbird** (v)
32. Great crested flycatcher
33. Cedar waxwing
34. Blackburnian warbler
35. Black-throated blue warbler (v)
36. Hermit thrush (v)
Elsewhere
37. Herring gull
38. Rock pigeon
39. European starling
40. House sparrow
41. Chipping sparrow (v)
42. Dark-eyed junco (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated blue warbler, black-throated green warblerr, blackburnian warbler, blue jay, brown-headed cowbird, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat, dark-eyed junco, downy woodpecker, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, European starling, field sparrow, gray catbird, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern flicker, ovenbird, rock pigeon, rose-breasted grosbeak, savannah sparrow, scarlet tanager, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, veery, yellow 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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