Faint sun early, passing rain showers. Mostly wet and drizzly. Did not ride my bike.
But Jack and I shall hike Beech Hill, never mind the weather. Still—after yesterday’s deluge—I waited until I was pretty sure we wouldn’t get poured on again. A little drizzle as we started up the wooded trail.
Also bird calls. One, a couple, four, five. Nothing to see where the veery sang yesterday. No scolding redstarts where they accosted us—which makes me wonder if such frantic behavior means more than just nestlings, perhaps early fledglings. Just beyond the redstart spot, I heard the chips of a yellowthroat, and we stood amid buzzing mosquitoes to watch first a female then a male appear in the trailside foliage.
Light drizzle, is all, although when a wind gust blew through the canopy rained. About half-way up, I heard the song of a yellow warbler and before long there flitted the bird itself, insect in beak, chipping at us from the shadows.
Someone had thoughtfully bushwhacked the upper trail along the fields, where another pair of yellowthroats hollered at us as we passed. Waxwings flying overhead, and a solitary tree swallow. At the summit, I caught the voices of a song sparrow, a field sparrow, a Savannah sparrow, and a distant rose-breasted grosbeak. The phoebes were tending their Beech Nut nest.
Still drizzling up top, but some sun poked through. Saw no rainbow, though.
Returning through the soggy lower woods, I added four species to today’s list: black-throated green warbler, hermit thrush, pewee, chickadee. Mosquitos buzzed. More drizzle.
But tonight I see the crescent of a new moon.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 4:30 p.m., I hiked the wooded trails.
1. Red-eyed vireo (v)
2. Chestnut-sided warbler
3. Veery (v)
4. Gray catbird* (v)
5. Eastern towhee
6. Common yellowthroat*
7. American crow* (v)
8. American redstart
9. Yellow warbler*
10. Mourning dove*
11. Song sparrow*
12. Cedar waxwing*
13. American robin (v)
14. Ovenbird* (v)
15. Eastern phoebe
16. Savannah sparrow
17. Field sparrow (v)
18. Rose-breasted grosbeak (v)
19. American goldfinch* (v)
20. Alder flycatcher (v)
21. Tree swallow
22. Black-throated green warbler* (v)
23. Hermit thrush* (v)
24. Eastern wood-pewee (v)
25. Black-capped chickadee
Elsewhere
26. Northern cardinal (v)
27. House finch (v)
28. Herring gull
29. Tufted titmouse (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, field sparrow, gray catbird, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, mourning dove, northern cardinal, ovenbird, red-eyed vireo, rose-breasted grosbeak, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tree swallow, tufted titmouse, veery, yellow warbler