Brown Creeper.
Northern Flicker.
A productive day at the desk, followed by a pretty good Beech Hill Day. Chillier than yesterday, bright and breezy. Most of the faces on the hill today were familiar ones—including the birds. Other than one bright American Tree Sparrow that sat in a sunbeam for a split second only, eluding my camera.
We did come upon a dead chickadee, though, just along the trail by the road. Appeared to be a cat-killed bird. Don’t get me started on humans who let their cats roam. I’ll say only that, in my opinion, they cannot rightfully profess to love their home planet.
No doubt I have said this before but: I have a nearly-eighteen-year-old Maine coon cat who has never been outdoors. She is happy as can be. “But Fluffy wants to go outside!” And wild songbirds would like to stay alive, please. Go ahead and google it—the number of wild birds killed by cats each year. It’s one of the reasons some species’ populations are declining.
RIP, chickadee.
But Fluffy wants to go outside. Grr.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 2 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Black-capped Chickadee (v)
2. American Crow*
3. Brown Creeper
4. American Goldfinch** (v)
5. White-breasted Nuthatch** (v)
6. American Tree Sparrow
Elsewhere
7. Blue Jay (v)
8. Northern Flicker
9. Mourning Dove
10. Downy Woodpecker
11. Herring Gull
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
