Chestnut-sided warbler.
Today—a warm, sunny one, with lots of summer activity going on everywhere—I learned something new. I learned the chip note of the chestnut-sided warbler.
Savannah sparrow.
I was pretty sure I’d learned it already, but I was wrong. Occasionally over the course of this season so far, I’ve confused its chip with the chips of redstarts and black-and-white warblers. Even the higher-pitched chip of the common yellowthroat had confused me once or twice. But it’s not as if there’s a dearth of chestnut-sideds around—I should know this. Or that’s what I was thinking yesterday when, while being chipped at by an anxious member of this species, I took some time to really listen.
What I got yesterday was the syllable “tyet.” I spelled it exactly that way in my head. The note sort of resembles “chet,” though—which is convenient, because Chet is short for Chester, and “Chester” is my personal nickname for the chestnut-sided warbler.
While hiking Beech Hill today with Jack, we rounded a turn and I heard it from a tangle of foliage: tyet! A bit of a pause, then tyet! We waited for the bird to appear, but it didn’t right away—because it turned out to be stationed directly behind us. (My ears sometimes get confused that way.) I turned, and there he was. Chester, bug in beak, eyeing us askance.
That’s when I knew I’d learned the chip note of the chestnut-sided warbler. Now I’ll remember.
Blackberries.
Elsewhere on the hill were several others of the species, quite a few towhees, fewer thrushes, a catbird or two. The Savannah sparrow was singing from the chimney of Beech Nut again. A mourning dove and cedar waxwing hung out together on a branch. And in the lower woods again, my old friends hermit thrush and wood-pewee.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 4:45 p.m., I hiked the wooded trails.
1. Black-throated green warbler (v)
2. Red-eyed vireo* (v)
3. Chestnut-sided warbler
4. Cedar waxwing*
5. Black-capped chickadee (v)
6. Eastern towhee
7. Gray catbird*
8. Veery (v)
9. Common yellowthroat* (v)
10. American goldfinch*
11. Mourning dove*
12. Yellow warbler
13. American robin* (v)
14. Savannah sparrow
15. American crow*
16. Song sparrow* (v)
17. Ovenbird (v)
18. Hermit thrush (v)
19. Eastern wood-pewee (v)
Elsewhere
20. House finch (v)
21. Northern cardinal (v)
22. Herring gull
23. Ring-billed gull
24. Chipping sparrow (v)
25. American redstart (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
