The last bird on my list this lovely cool mostly overcast morning was a lifer: a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher.
Other fun things happened, too: a few quiet, wandering warblers; a little gang of turkeys, an oriole, first yellow-rump in a while—but the flycatcher took the cake.
Oddly, I neither heard nor saw an Alder Flycatcher today, but then this little flitting, fly-catching bird down in the woodlands (where yellow-bellies like to hang out) began to flutter off its perch to snatch flies out of the air, then return to its perch, flicking its tail slightly. The little tail-flick, plus the yellowish wash, plus the woodland habitat pretty much confirmed my ID.
A lifer day is always a good day—but would’ve been a good day anyway.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:33 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo** (v) 2. Black-and-white Warbler 3. Tufted Titmouse 4. American Goldfinch 5. American Robin 6. Downy Woodpecker (v) 7. American Crow* 8. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 9. Hermit Thrush (v) 10. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 11. Black-capped Chickadee 12. Brown Creeper (v) 13. Ovenbird 14. Wild Turkey 15. Common Yellowthroat 16. Eastern Towhee 17. Gray Catbird** 18. Northern Flicker 19. Baltimore Oriole 20. Red-breasted Nuthatch 21. Eastern Phoebe 22. Yellow-rumped Warbler 23. Song Sparrow 24. Cedar Waxwing 25. Yellow Warbler (v) 26. Blue Jay (v) 27. Herring Gull 28. Mourning Dove* 29. American Redstart 30. Chestnut-sided Warbler 31. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher‡
Elsewhere
32. Northern Cardinal
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year ‡Lifer
Gotta admit, I love ravens. Smart birds, with a language of their own—croaks, and wails and baby-like cries and liquid sounds like water. There’s a nest somewhere near where Jack and I hike each day. Used to be just on the other side of Beech Hill Road, but I think it’s moved east a ways.
Today I heard a raven’s croak early in our hike, but didn’t see the bird (or another member of its family) until later. In flight. Croaking. Communicating with a distant relative.
Otherwise, a lovely hike—mostly sunny, with cool, dry [too dry] air and enough birds to keep my jumping. Including young waxwings learning how to pluck flies from a hatch atop the spruce grove.
Yep, we need rain. Will have some eventually—but maybe not tomorrow.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:25 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Blue Jay 2. American Crow 3. American Goldfinch 4. Red-eyed Vireo 5. Black-capped Chickadee 6. Ovenbird 7. White-breasted Nuthatch 8. Brown Creeper 9. Eastern Wood-pewee 10. Northern Parula 11. American Redstart 12. Tufted Titmouse 13. Common Yellowthroat 14. American Robin 15. Eastern Towhee 16. Alder Flycatcher 17. Common Raven 18. Red-breasted Nuthatch 19. Cedar Waxwing 20. Gray Catbird 21. Yellow Warbler 22. House Finch 23. Song Sparrow 24. Herring Gull 25. Turkey Vulture 26. Eastern Phoebe 27. Northern Cardinal
Elsewhere
28. Osprey
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Overcast and cool (low-60s (F)) this morning, with just a whisper of a breeze. Quiet on the trail first thing, but occasional calls came through. They’re moving around, the migratory species. They’re readying for the long fall journey.
Notably, more orioles today, and a minor fly hatch atop the summit spruce grove. But most notably was the circling collection of about a dozen barn swallows, a few families catching flies.
And the last bird on my list? A loon calling from not that far above the trees as we neared the end of our hike, dog and me.
(Today I booked dog and me a ferry and room for a Monhegan birding trip next month. It’s been more than three years. Excited.)
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:25 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo (v) 2. American Crow* 3. American Goldfinch 4. Black-capped Chickadee 5. Tufted Titmouse (v) 6. Blue Jay (v) 7. Black-and-white Warbler (v) 8. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 9. American Robin 10. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v) 11. Ovenbird 12. Eastern Wood-pewee 13. Brown Creeper (v) 14. Eastern Phoebe* 15. Eastern Towhee 16. Alder Flycatcher 17. Gray Catbird** 18. Northern Flicker 19. Cedar Waxwing 20. Yellow Warbler (v) 21. White-throated Sparrow (v) 22. Baltimore Oriole 23. Barn Swallow 24. Song Sparrow 25. Field Sparrow 26. Least Flycatcher (v) 27. Common Yellowthroat (v) 28. Chestnut-sided Warbler 29. Common Loon (v)
Elsewhere
30. Mourning Dove 31. Herring Gull 32. Rock Dove
Mammals
American Red Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
