Another clear, breezy morning with a nice assortment of nervous birds. Among the several species up at the summit spruce grove, I spied a Blue-headed Vireo. It’s been weeks since I’ve seen one, months since I’ve heard them singing. This one must’ve been on its way south.
As, by the way, was a nice-sized flock of migrating Monarchs—most I’ve seen so far.
No hawks today, but dog and I did spook another woodcock.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:36 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Common Yellowthroat (v) 2. American Crow* 3. Blue Jay 4. Northern Flicker 5. Black-capped Chickadee 6. American Goldfinch** (v) 7. American Robin 8. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v) 9. Cedar Waxwing 10. Yellow-rumped Warbler 11. American Woodcock 12. Eastern Towhee (v) 13. Gray Catbird (v) 14. Purple Finch (v) 15. Red-breasted Nuthatch 16. Blue-headed Vireo 17. Song Sparrow 18. Hermit Thrush 19. Osprey 20. Downy Woodpecker (v)
Elsewhere
21. Mourning Dove
Mammals
Eastern Gray Squirrel American Red Squirrel Eastern Chipmunk
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Another clear sky with a breeze from a favorable direction, but I didn’t expect early fall migration would grace me with so many species during my morning hike with dog. Thirty.
Notable additions to the usual suspects were a pair of hawks (sharpie and broad-winged), White-throated Sparrow (rarely seen since spring), Ruby-crowned Kinglet—and at the end of our hike we spooked an American Woodcock.
A week from today, dog and I will be Monhegan bound for an even more exciting glimpse of fall migration in action.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:25 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. American Crow* 2. Hermit Thrush 3. Blue Jay** 4. Black-capped Chickadee* 5. Red-breasted Nuthatch** 6. Gray Catbird 7. Common Yellowthroat 8. Hairy Woodpecker (v) 9. American Redstart 10. Black-and-white Warbler 11. Red-eyed Vireo 12. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v) 13. Northern Flicker 14. American Robin* 15. White-breasted Nuthatch 16. American Goldfinch 17. Eastern Towhee 18. Yellow-rumped Warbler 19. White-throated Sparrow 20. Cedar Waxwing 21. Song Sparrow 22. Savannah Sparrow 23. Eastern Bluebird 24. Sharp-shinned Hawk 25. Chipping Sparrow 26. Broad-winged Hawk 27. Ruby-crowned Kinglet 28. Tufted Titmouse (v) 29. Brown Creeper (v) 30. American Woodcock
Elsewhere
31. Carolina Wren (v) 32. Northern Cardinal (v)
Mammals
Eastern Gray Squirrel Eastern Chipmunk
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
A chillier morning than yesterday’s—upper 40s (F). A bit “nipply,” as they say around here. But migration has begun, and the overnight winds were more or less favorable, so I anticipated some kind of minor excitement.
But it was also overcast and breezy, and things were quiet at first.
Then, over the course of my hike with dog, a couple dozen species showed up (and/or sounded off). Notable were another passel of flickers, a little wave of yellow-rumps, a lovely young Veery, a Mourning Dove, and an Osprey and a solitary Ruby-throated Hummingbird in overflight near the summit of the hill.
Looks like tomorrow will also prove promising—and chances of rain over the following few days, so who knows?
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:20 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. American Crow* 2. Hermit Thrush 3. Blue Jay (v) 4. Gray Catbird 5. American Goldfinch (v) 6. Purple Finch (v) 7. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 8. Northern Flicker** 9. Mourning Dove 10. Song Sparrow 11. Eastern Towhee 12. Black-capped Chickadee 13. Common Yellowthroat 14. Tufted Titmouse (v) 15. Downy Woodpecker 16. Brown Creeper 17. Red-eyed Vireo 18. American Robin* 19. Cedar Waxwing 20. Yellow-rumped Warbler 21. Veery 22. Ruby-throated Hummingbird 23. Savannah Sparrow 24. Osprey 25. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
Elsewhere
26. Carolina Wren (v) 27. Rock Pigeon
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
