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Archive for May, 2014
Wednesday, May 28th, 2014
 Ovenbird. Another day, another wet, cold hike around Beech Hill Preserve with Jack. Crazy, crazy weather. And now Atlantic Puffin expert Steve Kress is reporting alarming declines in the puffin population, thanks to warmer water and changes in available food fish species. Welcome to the Anthropocene.
 Birch. Despite the rain and chill, I managed to list one more bird species than yesterday. Surprised the heck out of me, frankly—but I’m not complaining.
Tree Swallows flying above the blueberry fields. A raven soaring in the rain overhead, croaking. Hummingbirds flitting all over the place on either sie of the main carriage trail.
Kind of sucks that it was too dark for photos—again. But I did get a so-so picture of an Ovenbird.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:30 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Ovenbird
2. Red-eyed Vireo (v)
3. Chestnut-sided Warbler
4. Tufted Titmouse (v)
5. Common Yellowthroat
6. Hairy Woodpecker (v)
7. Eastern Towhee
8. American Redstart (v)
9. Mourning Dove*
10. American Robin*
11. American Crow*
12. Gray Catbird**
13. Northern Flicker (v)
14. Blue Jay (v)
15. Black-and-white Warbler (v)
16. Common Raven
17. Song Sparrow**
18. Field Sparrow (v)
19. Tree Swallow
20. Savannah Sparrow
21. Yellow Warbler** (v)
22. American Goldfinch (v)
23. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
24. Black-capped Chickadee (v)
25. Black-throated Green Warbler (v)
26. Common Loon (v)
27. Pileated Woodpecker (v)
28. Veery (v)
29. Eastern Phoebe
Elsewhere
30. Herring Gull
31. Osprey (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, common loon, common raven, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, field sparrow, gray catbird, hairy woodpecker, herring gull, mourning dove, northern flicker, osprey, ovenbird, pileated woodpecker, red-eyed vireo, ruby-throated hummingbird, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tree swallow, tufted titmouse, veery, yellow warbler
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 27th, 2014
 Gray Catbird. Yet another rainy and/or foggy morning. I’ve never seen a May like this. Hard to take photos when you have no light to speak of. Damn chilly, too.
 Oak grove. On the other hand, I did list twenty-eight species—thanks to my still-fairly-sensitive ears—and got some moody photos of the foggy bottomlands.
I expect more rain in the morning.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:15 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Ovenbird
2. Chestnut-sided Warbler
3. Red-eyed Vireo
4. American Robin**
5. Scarlet Tanager (v)
6. Black-throated Green Warbler (v)
7. American Crow*
8. Veery (v)
9. Eastern Towhee
10. Gray Catbird**
11. Tufted Titmouse (v)
12. American Redstart** (v)
13. Mourning Dove* (v)
14. Black-and-white Warbler (v)
15. American Goldfinch
16. Yellow Warbler**
17. Alder Flycatcher (v)
18. Ruby-throated Hummingbird (humming)
19. Nashville Warbler (v)
20. Common Yellowthroat**
21. Field Sparrow
22. Song Sparrow**
23. Eastern Wood-pewee (v)
24. Pileated Woodpecker (v)
25. Blue Jay (v)
26. Hermit Thrush (v)
27. Black-throated Blue Warbler (v)
28. Blackburnian Warbler (v)
Elsewhere
29. House Sparrow (v)
30. 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-throated blue warbler, black-throated green warbler, blackburnian warbler, blue jay, chestnut-sided warbler, common yellowthroat, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, field sparrow, gray catbirdt, hermit thrush, herring gull, house sparrow, mourning dove, Nashville warbler, ovenbird, pileated woodpecker, red-eyed vireo, ruby-throated hummingbird, scarlet tanager, song sparrow, ufted titmouse, veery, yellow warbler
Posted in Observations | No Comments »
Monday, May 26th, 2014
 Blue Jay collecting birch bark as nesting material. This Memorial Day holiday turned out to be a nice on—sunny, 70s (F), light wind, perfect for a long bicycle ride, one of which I treated myself to in afternoon. But morning began with drizzle that turned to fog that turned to drizzle again. As usual, I hiked all over Beech Hill Preserve with Captain Jack, my dog.
Quite a few species, although nothing rare or surprising. I did catch a glimpse of a Great Crested Flycatcher that was hollerin’ and carrying on in the foggy woods. I also happened to spy a Blue Jay tearing birch bark off a tree by the road and carrying it off to what I imagine must be the start of a nest somewhere.
Up near the summit, an Alder Flycatcher flew to a perch quite near us, in a little oak tree, and sang for a while. So I grabbed a video.
 Gray Catbird. Everything has really greened up in a hurry, as happens every year at this latitude toward the end of May. The foliage is vivid and fresh and unblemished, and when the sun comes out, the landscape is mottled with shade.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:15 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Black-capped Chickadee**
2. Ovenbird
3. Red-eyed Vireo** (v)
4. Chestnut-sided Warbler**
5. Tufted Titmouse** (v)
6. Common Yellowthroat**
7. Eastern Phoebe
8. Black-throated Green Warbler (v)
9. Mourning Dove*
10. Gray Catbird**
11. Northern Parula (v)
12. Eastern Towhee
13. Scarlet Tanager
14. American Robin*
15. American Crow*
16. American Redstart**
17. Veery (v)
18. Black-and-white Warbler**
19. Nashville Warbler (v)
20. Great Crested Flycatcher
21. Northern Flicker
22. Yellow Warbler**
23. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (drumming)
24. Hermit Thrush (v)
25. Alder Flycatcher
26. Blue Jay
27. Field Sparrow (v)
28. Savannah Sparrow
29. Song Sparrow
30. White-throated Sparrow (v)
31. Northern Cardinal* (v)
32. Chipping Sparrow**
33. American Goldfinch** (v)
34. Red-winged Blackbird
35. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
36. Osprey*
37. Eastern Wood-pewee (v)
38. Pileated Woodpecker (v)
39. Least Flycatcher (v)
Elsewhere
40. Herring Gull
41. Common Grackle
42. Rock Pigeon
43. Turkey Vulture
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
 Spruce grove.
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common grackle, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, field sparrow, gray catbird, great crested flycatcher, hermit thrush, herring gull, least flycatcher, mourning dove, Nashville warbler, northern cardinal, northern flicker, northern parula, osprey, ovenbird, pileated woodpecker, red-eyed vireo, red-winged blackbird, rock pigeon, ruby-throated hummingbird, savannah sparrow, scarlet tanager, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, turkey vulture, veery, white-throated sparrow, yellow warbler, yellow-bellied sapsucker
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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