13 November 2024

Archive for March, 2023

Surprises

Friday, March 31st, 2023
Snow Bunting, Beech Hiill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 31 March 2023.
Snow Bunting.

’Tis the season for wild bird curiosities. Most notable this morning during my hike with dog this bright, nippy morning was a Snow Bunting hanging around Beech Nut, pecking around in the snow-free grass.

But also there were two grouse, a Mallard in the “vernal” pool, and a first-of-year Fox Sparrow.

The sparrow in particular caught my attention, since I’ve been thinking about the only individuals of that species I’ve ever seen on the hill, maybe eight or two years ago, at about this time of year. Did not see this bird, but its bright, brief song was unmistakable.

Tomorrow is April (Captain Jack’s fifteenth birthday!). It’s supposed to rain much of the day. I wonder what kind of miracles will occur.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7 a.m. sun time (8 stupid DST), I hiked all trails.

1. American Robin
2. Tufted Titmouse**
3. Black-capped Chickadee
4. Downy Woodpecker
5. Golden-crowned Kinglet
6. Blue Jay**
7. Mallard
8. Ruffed Grouse
9. Northern Cardinal (v)
10. Eastern Bluebird
11. American Crow*
12. Herring Gull*
13. Song Sparrow**
14. Yellow-rumped Warbler
15. American Goldfinch**
16. Snow Bunting
17. Fox Sparrow (v)†
18. Pileated Woodpecker (v)

Elsewhere

13. Wild Turkey
14. House Sparrow (v)

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

†First-of-year

Spring Commences

Thursday, March 30th, 2023

Snowed a little over night, and was freezing when dog and I reached the trailhead. The winds were high and the sky was blue and I wore my winter coat, which was the right thing to do. What with the wind, had fewer bird species than I’d had in a while—but most were singing (or drumming).

Still some wintry weather to come, but you can tell from the photoperiod that sprouts and leaves and wood-warblers are a–comin’.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7 a.m. sun time (8 stupid DST), I hiked all trails.

1. Tufted Titmouse**
2. Downy Woodpecker (v)
3. Black-capped Chickadee
4. Red-winged Blackbird (v)
5. Brown Creeper (v)
6. American Crow*
7. Pileated Woodpecker (v)
8. Hairy Woodpecker (v)
9. American Goldfinch**
10. Blue Jay (v)
11. Eastern Bluebird
12. American Robin* (v)

Elsewhere

13. Herring Gull
14. Wild Turkey

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

†First-of-year

Mud Season

Wednesday, March 29th, 2023
Yellow-rumped Warbler, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 29 March 2023.
Yellow-rumped Warbler.
Red-tailed Hawk, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 29 March 2023.
Red-tailed Hawk.

What a morning. Nippier than yesterday but much brighter, and with a wide array of bird species. In fact, after five or six days of eighteen or nineteen (mostly nineteen) spp. on my list, today I ended up with twenty-one. (Was happy enough to have had twenty, until I looked at photos this evening and saw one of a raven.)

Captain Jack and I had fun. Didn’t meet anyone else on the trail until we’d nearly finished our round-trip. Highlights for me were the pair of harriers, the pair of red-tails, a posting yellow-rump, and more.

March is about over. Mud Season is nearly here. Soon I’ll be able to report many more firsts-of-year.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7 a.m. sun time (8 stupid DST), I hiked all trails.

1. Tufted Titmouse
2. White-breasted Nuthatch
3. Black-capped Chickadee
4. Downy Woodpecker
5. American Goldfinch
6. American Crow
7. Pileated Woodpecker
8. Brown Creeper
9. Herring Gull
10. American Robin
11. Red-winged Blackbird
12. Northern Cardinal
13. Blue Jay
14. Yellow-rumped Warbler
15. Song Sparrow
16. Northern Harrier
17. Eastern Bluebird
18. Red-tailed Hawk
19. Red-breasted Nuthatch
20. Common Raven
21. Hairy Woodpecker

Elsewhere

22. Mallard
23. Wild Turkey

(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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