An exciting morning on the hill today. Sun and breeze and a pair of ravens engaged in a dramatic mating chase. Also an eagle getting hollered at by a pair of herring gulls, singing song sparrows and phoebes.
Ah, April in Maine.
Herring Gull and Bald Eagle.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:45 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. American Goldfinch**
2. Blue Jay (v)
3. Tufted Titmouse
4. Northern Cardinal**
5. Song Sparrow**
6. Dark-eyed Junco
7. American Crow*
8. Common Grackle
9. Eastern Bluebird
10. Herring Gull*
11. Northern Flicker (v)
12. Black-capped Chickadee**
13. Purple Finch (v)
14. Downy Woodpecker (v)
15. Eastern Phoebe (v)
16. American Robin*
17. Common Raven
18. Bald Eagle
19. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
Elsewhere
20. Mourning Dove
21. Wild Turkey
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Some early busyness delayed my hike with dog until mid-morning today—a nippy, overcast morning. Heard singing Song Sparrows for the first time this year (three of ’em). Spotted two first-of-year-species: American Kestrel and Eastern Phoebe. But the highlight was the harrier that came sailing low and wheeling in a short dive to pluck a vole from the field.
Eastern Phoebe.
I watched her flap away carrying the vole in her right talon.
(At least I assume it was a vole.)
Beech Hill List Beginning at 9:45 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
Overcast and wicked windy this morn. I thought I might end up with three or four species on my list—but the wind came from the southwest, and it carried with it species enough to count on two hands.
Saw a vulture, a harrier, a large flock of blackbirds, a larger flock of crows—but my favorite today was the quiet little Song Sparrow that flitted subtly across our path just as we’s about wrapped up our hike, dog and I. Won’t be long before I’ll be hearing Song Sparrows singing everywhere.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:15 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Blue Jay (v)
2. Black-capped Chickadee (v)
3. American Crow*
4. Eastern Bluebird
5. American Robin*
6. Great Black-backed Gull
7. Turkey Vulture
8. Red-winged Blackbird
9. Northern Harrier
10. Song Sparrow
