16 February 2025

Archive for February, 2023

Windblown

Tuesday, February 28th, 2023
Overflying crow, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 28 February 2023.
Overflying crow.

Supposed to snow this morning, and it did. Light snow for the most part early, but high winds, and—consequently—few birds Wasn’t sure I’d get a photo of any, in fact, but while in the woods with dog, I happened to hear, then see, a crow fly over.

The light snow continued all day, then got a little heavier. The wind persisted. Will require quite a cleanup tomorrow.

(Yet in a mere three weeks, it’ll be spring.)

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7:58 a.m., I hiked all trails.

1. American Crow
2. Common Raven (v)
3. Tufted Titmouse (v)

Elsewhere

4. Herring Gull

Mammals

Eastern Gray Squirrel

(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere

†First-of-year

Just Around the Corner

Monday, February 27th, 2023
Turkey Vulture (first of year), Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 27 February 2023.
Turkey Vulture (first of year).

Chilly again—single digits early, but 10° or 11° by the time dog and I hit the trailhead. Blue, blue sky, and not too much breeze. A couple inches of snow fell overnight, so I didn’t need my grips. We were the first up the wooded trail, and right away I detected a bunch of bird activity.

Chickadees, robins, Pine Grosbeaks (sixteen!), raven, yellow-rump, nuthatches, titmouse, brown creepers, woodpeckers, and—perhaps most notably—a Turkey Vulture. First of year.

In all, thirteen species—most in a while—and, despite the wintry landscape, I had the distinct feeling that spring is just around the corner.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7:42 a.m., I hiked all trails.

1. Black-capped Chickadee**
2. American Robin
3. Pine Grosbeak
4. American Crow*
5. Brown Creeper
6. Yellow-rumped Warbler (v)
7. Common Raven (v)
8. White-breasted Nuthatch** (v)
9. Tufted Titmouse** (v)
10. Turkey Vulture†
11. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v)
12. Hairy Woodpecker
13. Downy Woodpecker

Elsewhere

14. Herring Gull
15. Rock Pigeon
16. Mallard

(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere

†First-of-year

Winter Day

Sunday, February 26th, 2023
Tufted Titmouse, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 26 February 2023.
Tufted Titmouse.

This morning felt like the morning of a winter day. For the first time, perhaps, it just felt like plain ol’ winter. Far below freezing, sun turning to haze and clouds, still—still and calm and quiet.

It was a beautiful morning.

And there were birds—plenty more than yesterday. Most notable were probably the pair of ravens that made their presence known by croaking (well, one of them did), which allowed me to look up and see them flying fast, close in tandem up beyond the hardwood branches.

What more can I say? A beautiful, beautiful morning.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7:42 a.m., I hiked all trails.

1. Northern Cardinal** (v)
2. Black-capped Chickadee**
3. Downy Woodpecker (v)
4. American Crow**
5. White-breasted Nuthatch**
6. Tufted Titmouse* (v)
7. Common Raven
8. Hairy Woodpecker (v)
9. American Goldfinch (v)
10. Golden-crowned Kinglet

(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere

†First-of-year

 
Bird Report is a (sometimes intermittent) record of the birds I encounter while hiking, see while driving, or spy outside my window. —Brian Willson



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