17 February 2025

Archive for December, 2015

Snow a-comin’

Monday, December 28th, 2015
Brown Creeper, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 28 December 2015.

Brown Creeper.

Got cold finally. Eighteen degrees (F) when first I looked. I heard a lot of wind overnight, and although it settled down some, there was a bit of a wind chill on my hike up the hill with dog.

Winter sun, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 28 December 2015.

Winter sun.

Felt kind of invigorating, though. And I was surprised at how many other folks (and dogs) we ran into. Also a few birds, including a Brown Creeper.

Supposed to snow tomorrow. That’ll be a first also this winter.

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

1. Herring Gull
2. Black-capped Chickadee
3. Downy Woodpecker (v)
4. American Crow** (v)
5. Brown Creeper

Elsewhere

6. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
7. Blue Jay (v)
8. Mallard
9. Rock Pigeon
10. European Starling

v = Voice only
**Voice only elsewhere

 

Rawsville

Sunday, December 27th, 2015
Yellow-rumped Warbler, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 27 December 2015.

Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Still no winter snow, but we had a lot of cold rain these past several hours. In fact, I remember waking up in the middle of the night last night to the sound of it on the roof. A light rain, a cold rain. [Aside: that’s one of the nicest things about this rental—the gentle sound of the rain on the roof.] Had a fun time doing typographic ornaments, then took a hike.

Wore my winter coat today, even though the temps were in the mid- to upper-thirties (F). Not too much breeze, but no sun, water in the atmosphere. Raw.

Surprised to find a car in the parking lot. Surprised to hear another car arrive as we started up the hill. Surprised to run into about ten or twelve other hikers on the trail in the frigid drizzle. Christmas weekend, I guess.

Surprised at the number of bird spp., too. Saw a turkey along Beech Hill Road on the way to the trail. Heard a Pileated Woodpecker delivering its slow wuk-wuk-wuk call. Even spotted a couple yellow-rumps at the summit.

Supposed to get a little snow on Tuesday, I guess. Nothing like the huge snows out west just now. Or last night’s big Texas tornadoes. Since when do we get tornadoes in December?

Since the Anthropocene, that’s when.

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

1. Black-capped Chickadee (v)
2. Tufted Titmouse (v)
3. Pileated Woodpecker (v)
4. American Tree Sparrow (v)
5. Yellow-rumped Warbler

Elsewhere

6. Blue Jay (v)
7. American Crow
8. Wild Turkey

v = Voice only

 

Croaking

Saturday, December 26th, 2015
Winterberry, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 26 December 2015.

Winterberry.

Sunny and chillier than yesterday. No bike ride today—but took care of a lot of overdue paperwork, got some type-design work done, and Jack was eager for a hike, so we went on one later in the day.

So did a ton of other people (and a few other dogs). I knew there’d be a crowd, and there was—but I didn’t know there’d be a guy sitting on Beech Nut’s roof peak. I called him on down, and he quickly complied.

Few obvious birds today on the hill today, but I heard a raven in flight croaking above my place in Camden.

Lovely one, all in all.

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

1. Black-capped Chickadee (v)
2. Yellow-rumped Warbler (v)

Elsewhere

3. American Crow
4. White-breasted Nuthatch
5. Common Raven (v)
6. Mallard
7. Rock Pigeon

v = Voice only

 

 
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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