Nippy, but not quite as nippy. Breezy, but not so breezy. Overcast—a fairly heavy overcast, so I was happy to have decided to wear my winter coat. (Captain Jack didn’t mind at all, since he’s always wearing the right clothing.)
Had few birds ascending the wooded trail, but nearing the summit, I heard a raven and crows. Heading down the open trail, we met an online friend and his dog (neither of whom we’d met before), so had company for a while. Yellow-rump, crossbill. Toward Beech Hill Road, bidding farewell to our friends, we happened to be surrounded by birds—bluebirds, nuthatches, a woodpecker, a Brown Creeper.
All-in-all a lovely, fun, overcast winter’s day.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:15 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. American Goldfinch (v) 2. Black-capped Chickadee 3. Common Raven (v) 4. American Crow** (v) 5. Yellow-rumped Warbler (v) 6. Red Crossbill 7. Eastern Bluebird 8. Red-breasted Nuthatch 9. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 10. Hairy Woodpecker 11. Brown Creeper
Elsewhere
12. Herring Gull
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
A nippy, overcast morning. Temps in the mid-20s (F), a tiny little western breeze we only felt on the open trail. Few birds—but a couple noteworthy ones.
Most noteworthy: a solitary Snow Bunting we spooked in back of the hut upon summiting, dog and I. Also had a couple nuthatches, a flicker, and the usual other suspects.
It’s starting to feel like winter, though. I like it.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:24 a.m., I hiked all trails.
Warmer than yesterday morning, and less windy. Also clearer. Twenty degrees (F) to start, with calm air in the woods. Icy trails, angling sun, a few woodland birds (including a random sharpie fly-by). And, at the summit, bluebirds.
Common Raven.
First pair of bluebirds appeared just as dog and I were headed down the open hillside. Heard a yellow-rump there also. The sky was blue, blue.
On our return ascent, the pair of bluebirds had somehow multiplied into at least twenty birds. They were everywhere. Late December, sun, blue sky, temps in the twenties—another bluebird day. (Also a few goldfinches and ’rumps.)
A final fillip on our final decent: a solitary, croaking raven, circling in the blue, blue sky.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:13 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 2. Pine Siskin (v) 3. Sharp-shinned Hawk 4. Black-capped Chickadee 5. Eastern Bluebird 6. American Crow (v) 7. Yellow-rumped Warbler 8. Tufted Titmouse (v) 9. American Goldfinch 10. Common Raven
