8 February 2025

Archive for January, 2015

Snow

Saturday, January 31st, 2015
Spruce, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 31 January 2015.

Spruce.

Snowing this morning. The air temperature had dipped dramatically, and the wind was howling pretty good. It being Saturday, I got to hang around the house, doing errands. Those errands included snow-shoveling—two shifts worth (and I’m still not done). I also replaced my kitchen faucet assembly.

Beech Hill was damn cold and wind-chilly. Show stung my eyes and made me realize why people where goggles in weather like that. Saw a couple of Snow Buntings flitting about in the blowing snow up there.

And guess what? After a sunny day tomorrow, with temperatures on either size of zero (F), on Monday we’re told to expect another foot or more of snow.

Bring it on.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 12:30 p.m., I hiked the open trail.

1. Snow Bunting
2. Herring Gull*
3. Black-capped Chickadee** (v)

Elsewhere

4. American Crow
5. American Robin
6. Pileated Woodpecker
7. Rock Pigeon
8. White-breasted Nuthatch

v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere

 

Snowy Snowy Owl

Friday, January 30th, 2015
Snowy Owl, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 30 January 2015.

Snowy Owl.

Got a nice surprise on a yucky hike up Beech Hill today with dog. Wet snow fell over much of Maine, but here along the coast—with the temperature just above freezing—it was mostly just a chill, raw drizzle.

But right away there were ravens. A pair of them, flying, croaking. I got a fairy crappy photo of one.

Common Raven, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 30 January 2015.

Common Raven.

And then a busy little chickadee nearby.

And at the summit, after coming up along the side of the hut, I scanned the western slope and spotted it: a lone adult Snowy Owl. Got a few distant photos, then tried for a video—and within a few seconds, the owl took off. Got some footage of its remarkable flight—the flapping, the sailing, white—and some audio of me breathing. (Oops.)

Can’t complain, can’t complain.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 12:30 p.m., I hiked the open trail.

1. Common Raven
2. Black-capped Chickadee
3. Snowy Owl
4. Northern Flicker

Elsewhere

5. American Crow
6. Herring Gull

v = Voice only

Black-capped Chickadee, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 30 January 2015.

Black-capped Chickadee.

Snowshoes

Wednesday, January 28th, 2015
Weed, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 28 January 2015.

Weed.

Today I worked long hours. I also took a walk in snowshoes up a hill with my good dog.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 1:15 p.m., I hiked the open trail.

1. Black-capped Chickadee* (v)
2. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
3. Northern Flicker

Elsewhere

4. American Crow
5. Herring Gull
6. Rock Pigeon

v = Voice only
*Voice only elsewhere

 

 
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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