A bright chilly morning. Started slow, but soon enough warmed enough to set free some black flies, and the birds appeared slowly and steadily. My one first-of-year species I didn’t notice until I looked at photos (a Wilson’s Warbler vs a Yellow Warbler)—but lots of variety.
Blue Jays were conspicuous, others inconspicuous. A few quiet birds snuck onto the list (e.g., kingbirds, waxwings, Blackburnian warbler), a few noisy ones returned (e.g., Great Crested Flycatcher). No cuckoos today.
In a surprise twist, I took a dramatic tumble off a boardwalk, but no damage done to my person or optics, and Jack was amused.
All in all, another day of fun.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:45 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo 2. Ovenbird 3. Blue Jay 4. Chestnut-sided Warbler 5. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 6. Veery 7. Hairy Woodpecker 8. Common Yellowthroat 9. Gray Catbird** 10. Wood Thrush (v) 11. Eastern Towhee 12. Yellow Warbler (v) 13. American Redstart 14. American Goldfinch** 15. Tufted Titmouse (v) 16. Scarlet Tanager 17. American Crow* 18. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 19. Downy Woodpecker (v) 20. Song Sparrow** 21. Great Crested Flycatcher (v) 22. Purple Finch (v) 23. Tree Swallow 24. Alder Flycatcher 25. Eastern Kingbird 26. Cedar Waxwing 27. Field Sparrow (v) 28. Ruby-throated Hummingbird 29. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v) 30. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 31. Hermit Thrush (v) 32. Black-and-white Warbler (v) 33. Least Flycatcher (v) 34. Northern Flicker (v) 35. Mourning Dove (v) 36. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 37. Northern Parula (v) 38. Wilson’s Warbler† 39. Blackburnian Warbler
Elsewhere
40. House Finch (v) 41. Herring Gull 42. Bald Eagle
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year bird
Thick fog this morning, but it burned off by the time we got to the trailhead. And it turned out to be the best birding day of spring so far. Dozens of species, good looks, nice variety—but I forgot to turn on my GoPro.
Good hike though: first-of-year Maggie warb, decent photos. Fun and fruitful anyway.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:45 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
Rained quite a bit overnight, but before long the rain stopped, and the air dried up a bit, and Jack and I began our hike into a lush woodland, with a scrap or two of blue even floating overhead.
Quiet a few birds today, including two first-of-year species: Black-billed Cuckoo and Ruby-throated Hummingbird. I keep forgetting about those first-of-year species that haven’t shown up yet.
Great Crested Flycatchers, singing Field Sparrows—but no kestrels or Savannah’s. Still, a very fun hike after the rain.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 9:15 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo* 2. Ovenbird* 3. Northern Cardinal** (v) 4. American Redstart 5. Chestnut-sided Warbler (r) 6. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 7. Gray Catbird* 8. Yellow Warbler** 9. Veery** (v) 10. Black-billed Cuckoo† (v) 11. Eastern Towhee 12. American Goldfinch** 13. Great Crested Flycatcher 14. Least Flycatcher (hard to tell from other species.) 15. Northern Parula* 16. Eastern Towhee* 17. Common Yellowthroat* 18. Blue Jay* 19. Black-and-White Warbler** 20. Wood Thrush* 21. Tufted Titmouse** 22. American Crow* 23. Alder Flycatcher 24. Field Sparrow 25. Song Sparrow** 26. Eastern Phoebe* 27. Ruby-throated Hummingbird (v) 28. Black-throated Green Warbler 29. Chipping Sparrow** 30. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 31. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 32. Purple Finch 33. Downy Woodpecker (v)
Elsewhere
34. Herring Gull
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year bird
