Rained much of the night. Stopped long enough for a morning hike with dog. Damp, green, humid, lush. Interesting walk—including a first-of-year patch of fireweed (ate my first blossom of the year, yum), Mourning Dove singing from the chimney of Beech Nut, Philadelphia Vireo singing by the road, A white-tail showing up in a photo I took of a flicker.
On way back home I stopped in traffic on Route 1 to let a little family of Mallards cross.
More rain later. Precipitation is generally not a bad thing.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:15 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
This early morning on the way to the hill, I saw a Broad-winged Hawk take wing from along the side of the road with a chipmunk in its talons. Thing weren’t so dramatic during our hike, dog and me.
But there were plenty of birds, more than plenty mosquitoes, and a lovely-voiced Savannah Sparrow to serenade us.
Also a threat of thundershowers, though none ever came. (Tomorrow could be a different story.)
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:15 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Veery** (v) 2. Blue Jay (v) 3. American Goldfinch (v) 4. Song Sparrow** 5. Ovenbird** (v) 6. American Crow* 7. Common Yellowthroat** 8. Red-eye Vireo** (v) 9. Eastern Towhee 10. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 11. Tufted Titmouse (v) 12. Alder Flycatcher (v) 13. Yellow Warbler 14. Field Sparrow (v) 15. Tree Swallow 16. Gray Catbird** (v) 17. Mourning Dove* 18. Eastern Phoebe** (v) 19. Savannah Sparrow 20. Chipping Sparrow 21. Chestnut-sided Warbler** 22. Nashville Warbler (v) 23. American Redstart (v) 24. Northern Cardinal
I got my best photo of a Yellow Warbler this morning. I’ve been spotting the same bird, singing in the same birch tree, for weeks. Never could pin it down.
But this third foggy morning in a row, soon after I discovered that the cloud had burned away about half-way up the hill, I stood and waited and got just the glimpse I’ve been looking for.
Hey, little birdie.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:30 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
