Rained pretty good overnight (with a couple thunder boomers) and this morning, which delayed my daily hike with Jack until late. Expected fewer bird species, and got fewer—but still plenty of excitement. Especially dramatic was the little noisy parties of crows.
I counted eighteen crows down toward the field edges, most all of them calling and hollering and chasing each other around. My uneducated guess is that more than half were fledglings, from different nests, getting to know one another through play and vocalization and instruction from adults. Nowhere near as large a group as the crows’ dependable fall conventions—but noteworthy nonetheless.
All in all a lovely Saturday
Beech Hill List Beginning at 10:31 a.m., I hiked most trails.
`1. Song Sparrow** 2. Red-eyed Vireo** 3. Ovenbird 4. Common Raven (v) 5. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 6. Northern Cardinal (v) 7. American Goldfinch** 8. Chestnut-sided Warbler** 9. Gray Catbird* 10. Black-and-white Warbler (v) 11. Black-capped Chickadee** (v) 12. Common Yellowthroat 13. Eastern Towhee 14. Northern Flicker (v) 15. Yellow Warbler 16. American Crow* 17. Cedar Waxwing 18. American Robin* 19. Field Sparrow (v) 20. Herring Gull* 21. Savannah Sparrow 22. Prairie Warbler (v) 23. Hermit Thrush 24. Turkey Vulture 25. Mourning Dove
Elsewhere
26. Eastern Phoebe
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Overcast to start, but soon the sun came out, and the temperature began to rise. Still rather quiet along the wooded trails to start—but things picked up. Had a three or four nice conversations with fellow hikers.
Wood Lily (first of year).
Ripe blueberries yesterday, and a first-of-year Wood Lily today. Both three or four weeks early.
The Wood Thrush persists, but I can’t lay eyes on it. Fewer species all told than on recent excursions—but a few nice ones, too.
Most memorable was a photo of a Savannah Sparrow with a big beak full of fledgling food.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:28 a.m., I hiked most trails.
