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Archive for December, 2018
Sunday, December 16th, 2018
 Memories of Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. A lovely Sunday morning. Calm, frosty, silent—would’ve been even quieter, if not for a very slight north breeze that brought distant traffic noise. And a small plane flying overhead. And trucks and cars on the road. OK, yeah, way too many internal combustion engines, but you get the idea.
I saw only a distant crow, a distant gull, and a not-so-distant titmouse.
And heard the alarm note of a cardinal at home.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 8:30 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. American crow*
2. Black-capped Chickadee** (v)
3. Herring Gull
4. American Goldfinch (v)
5. Tufted Titmouse
Elsewhere
6. Northern Cardinal (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, black-capped chickadee, herring gull, northern cardinal, tufted titmouse
Posted in Lists, Observations, Photo | No Comments »
Saturday, December 15th, 2018
 American Wigeons. Beech Hill wasn’t the big story from today. That’s because today was our area’s Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC), which began at 7:45 a.m. at the Rockland Breakwater. As usual, I participated until lunch—by which time we’d listed the bulk of our species.
For the first time I can remember, CBC day was not brutally cold and/or windy. Right balmy out, to be honest. And a fun time was had by all.
Here are a few photos.
 Long-tailed Duck (male, non-breeding plumage).  Herring Gull (non-breeding adult).  European Starling.  Black Scoter.  American Crow.
 Black Guillemot (non-breeding plumage). Beech Hill List
Beginning at 1:30 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. American Crow* (v)
2. American Goldfinch* (v)
3. White-breasted Nuthatch* (v)
4. Black-capped Chickadee*
Elsewhere
5. Canada Goose
6. American Wigeon
7. American Black Duck
8. Mallard
9. Common Eider
10. Surf Scoter
11. Black Scoter
12. Long-tailed Duck
13.Bufflehead
14. Common Goldeneye
15. Common Merganser
16. Red-breasted Merganser
17. Common Loon
18. Horned Grebe
19. Bald Eagle
20. Bonaparte’s Gull
21. Ring-billed Gull
22. Herring Gull
23. Great Black-backed Gull
24. Black Guillemot
25. Mourning Dove
26. Downy Woodpecker (v)
27. Pileated Woodpecker
28. European Starling
29. Snow Bunting (v)
30. Song Sparrow
31. Dark-eyed Junco
32. Northern Cardinal (v)
33. House Finch
34. House Sparrow
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
Tags: American black duck, American crow, American goldfinch, American wigeon, bald eagle, black guillemot, black scoter, black-capped chickadee, Bonaparte's gull, bufflehead, Canada goose, common eider, common goldeneye, common loon, common merganser, dark-eyed junco, downy woodpecker, European starling, great black-backed gull, herring gull, horned grebe, house finch, house sparrow, long-tailed duck, mallard, mourning dove, northern cardinal, pileated woodpecker, red-breasted merganser, ring-billed gull, snow bunting, song sparrow, surf scoter, white-breasted nuthatch
Posted in Lists, Observations, Photo | No Comments »
Friday, December 14th, 2018
 Yellow-rumped Warbler. I heard the faintest chip! as dog and I descended the hill today. I knew that chip!—the note of a Yellow-rumped Warbler. But it was only one chip! My ears might’ve been fooled by some other faint percussive sound. Perhaps I’d kicked a pebble, or Jack’s tags had made a click.
Then a few seconds later, sure enough, four yellow-rumps popped up out of a patch of bayberries. So thankful for my adamantine hearing.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 8:15 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Black-capped Chickadee**
2. American Crow*
3. Herring Gull*
4. American Goldfinch
5. Yellow-rumped Warbler
6. Tufted Titmouse
7. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
Elsewhere
8. Northern Cardinal (v)
9. Rock Pigeon
10. Hairy Woodpecker
11. Mallard
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, black-capped chickadee, hairy woodpecker, herring gull, mallard, northern cardinal, rock pigeon, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch, yellow-rumped warbler
Posted in Lists, Observations, Photo | No Comments »
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| 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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