7 November 2026

Archive for March, 2019

Buntings

Tuesday, March 12th, 2019
Snow Buntings, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 12 March 2019.
Snow Buntings.
Robin in the sumac, Rockport, Maine, 12 March 2019.
Robin in the sumac, Rockport, Maine, 12 March 2019.

Had a nice surprise on this morning’s bright, nippy hike: three Snow Buntings poking around on the barren near the trail. I’ve seen such behavior before—just not for three or four winters.

This morning before the hike, I saw flying turkeys and heard the call of a Pileated Woodpecker. And after the hike, I watched a robin dine on staghorn sumac drupes.

In all a lovely day.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 8:45 a.m., I hiked the open trail.

1. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
2. Tufted Titmouse (v)
3. Herring Gull*
4. Snow Bunting
5. Eastern Bluebird (v)
6. Black-capped Chickadee**
7. American Crow*

Elsewhere

8. Mourning Dove (v)
9. Pileated Woodpecker (v)
10. Wild Turkey
11. Rock Pigeon
12. American Robin

v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere

Water Birds

Monday, March 11th, 2019
Red-necked Grebe, Rockport Harbor, Maine, 11 March 2019.
Red-necked Grebe.
Loon with crab, Rockport Harbor, Maine, 11 March 2019.
Loon with crab.

A warm, thawy, slushy, breezy morning. Several birds on the hill—including a fly-by Red-tailed Hawk—but I figured I’d swing by the harbor anyway, see what’s what. Windier when I got there at high tide, but the water birds were cooperative. In fact, I saw the first Red-Necked Grebe I’ve seen in I don’t know how long exactly.

Loon eating a crab, pair of Horned Grebes, black-backs. Good times.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 9 a.m., I hiked the open trail.

1. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
2. Tufted Titmouse**
3. American Crow*
4. Northern Cardinal** (v)
5. American Robin
6. Herring Gull*
7. Red-tailed Hawk
8. Black-capped Chickadee**

Elsewhere

9. Wild Turkey
10. Rock Pigeon
11. Mallard
12. Great Black-backed Gull
13. Common Loon
14. Horned Grebe
15. Red-necked Grebe†
16. Turkey Vulture†

v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird

Chickadee!

Sunday, March 10th, 2019

After a good hike up a familiar hill in warmish temperatures with a stout wind, I got nearly back to the parking lot before realizing I’d forgotten to retrieve a bag of dog poop that came from some other person’s dog. Went back for it, and on returning encountered a little flock of curious chickadees.

There’s always some gift to be had.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 9 a.m., I hiked the open trail.

1. Black-capped Chickadee**
2. White-breasted Nuthatch** (v)
3. American Crow*
4. Tufted Titmouse** (v)
5. Pileated Woodpecker (drumming)

Elsewhere

6. Mourning Dove
7. Herring Gull
8. Wild Turkey

v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice

 
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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