’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
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
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