12 March 2026

Archive for February, 2015

Planetary antics

Friday, February 20th, 2015
Wind on the hill, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 20 February 2015.

Wind on the hill.

Got some sleep, then up and at ’em.

A sunny day—but windy. And not all that warm. Still, I heard chickadees out back and a House Sparrow in a bush over at the Claddagh Motel, somewhere over the four-foot snow banks across Route 1 from me.

Busy ol’ day. Got up to Beech Hill finally closer to the end of afternoon than usual. Wicked windy. Didn’t expect birds, but actually spotted a flicker and a pair of robins—all in flight. The wind sprinted, howling, across the snowbound barrens. No shrikes this year, I’ve noticed. My thought is they won’t bother trying to find a vole in a place that’s so socked in with snow.

This evening, the temperature is headed down. As the waning crescent moon headed down earlier, the evening star was in close pursuit. I think Venus must be in luuuv with the moon.

Then, later, I looked up at Jupiter with my Swarovskis: three Galilean moons lined up all in a row.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 3:30 p.m., I hiked the open trail.

1. Northern Flicker
2. American Robin

Elsewhere

3. Black-capped Chickadee
4. House Sparrow
5. American Crow
6. Herring Gull
7. Mourning Dove
8. House Finch

v = Voice only
*Also Elsewhere

 

Reprieve

Thursday, February 19th, 2015
American Crow, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 19 February 2015.

American Crow.

Wacky-busy day. But the weather abated. Mostly sun, with a few slow-moving winter clouds. The temperature got high enough that some of the packed-snow on my back stair began to melt. Meltwater here and there. Browning high snow banks on either side of Route 1.

Managed a quick hike with Jack. Crows up there.

Tonight is still warm enough to go out in just a sweatshirt.

Tomorrow we might get a foot of snow.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 2:30 p.m., I hiked the open trail.

1. American Robin
2. Northern Flicker (v)
3. American Crow*

Elsewhere

4. Herring Gull
5. Black-capped Chickadee (v)
6. Mallard

v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere

Quiet

Tuesday, February 17th, 2015
Yellow-rumped Warbler, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 17 February 2015.

Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Long day—but still, and really quiet up at Beech Hill. Saw some birds up there. Here’s proof.

American Robin, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 17 February 2015.

American Robin.

(No, I mean really, really quiet. I heard no sound but the distant drone of a jet many miles above us. Kind of wonderful.)

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 1:45 p.m., I hiked the open trail.

1. American Robin*
2. Yellow-rumped Warbler
3. Northern Flicker

Elsewhere

4. Black-capped Chickadee (v)
5. American Crow
6. Herring Gull
7. Downy Woodpecker
8. Rock Pigeon
9. European Starling

v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere

Northern Flicker, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 17 February 2015.

Northern Flicker.

 
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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