Three crows.
Brrr. The day dawned excruciatingly clear and bright—and distractingly cold. But never mind. Spent much of the day working at the kitchen table—where I downed a delicious breakfast of eggs scrambled with onions and hot peppers, a few fried potatoes, and fresh black coffee—with a break to chat with the across-the-road neighbors. At last, Jack and I took a hike.
Moon.
The wind was whipping at the summit of Beech Hill. On the way up, I heard the voice of a raven and flushed a woodcock from the muddy trail not twenty feet in front of us. (Wished I’d seen it first.) Tried out my new camera, which I’m still getting used to. The colors of the day and my mood and the whole world around me were predominantly blue and gold. Half moon in the blue sky. Blue bay beyond the gold-green fields. American goldfinch at the top of a budding-out maple.
Tonight is a crisp and starry one—just like I like ’em.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 4:45 p.m., I hiked the wooded trails.
1. Black-capped chickadee
2. Northern raven (v)
3. American woodcock
4. American robin*
5. Eastern towhee (v)
6. American crow*
7. Eastern phoebe (v)
8. American goldfinch*
Elsewhere
9. Tufted titmouse (v)
10. Northern cardinal (v)
11. Turkey vulture
12. House finch
13. Mourning dove
14. House sparrow
15. Herring gull
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
American goldfinch.
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, American woodcock, black-capped chickadee, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern raven, tufted titmouse, turkey vulture
