9 February 2025

Monarch

Wednesday, August 29th, 2012
Monarch, Beech Hill, Rockport, Maine, 29 August 2012.

Monarch.

Coolish today, with a breeze. Cloudless for most of it. While out doing errands, I spotted a few town birds and a broad-winged hawk crossing Route 1. Took a hike with Jack at the usual late-summer hour and found a quiet hillside amid faint bird sounds and unidentified flitting species. I did manage to ID the voice of a young vireo (nearby was the voice of its alarmed parent). Spotted a silent hermit thrush in the shadows. Spotted a phoebe in the woods near where I saw one yesterday—likely the same bird—and got only a glimpse of what looked to be an adult wood warbler (chestnut-sided?). The wood-pewees are still around, at least one family.

At the edge of the summit fields, I spent quite a while photographing a monarch butterfly dining on a wind-whipped goldenrod. It seemed undaunted by its dramatic swinging and swaying.

Also had a nice chat with a friendly visiting family up at Beech Nut. That’s where I’ve mostly engaged in conversations these days. Other than with Jack, I mean. (And that’s mostly one-sided.)

Tonight is clear and cool. The moon is nearly full for the second time this month.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 5 p.m., I hiked the wooded trails.

1. Black-capped chickadee
2. American crow*
3. Cedar waxwing
4. Gray catbird (v)
5. American goldfinch*
6. Red-eyed vireo (v)
7. Northern flicker (v)
8. Hermit thrush
9. Eastern phoebe
10. Warbler (sp.)
11. Eastern wood-pewee (v)

Elsewhere

12. Herring gull
13. Rock pigeon
14. House sparrow
15. Broad-winged hawk
16. American robin (v)
17. Northern cardinal (v)

v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

 
Bird Report is a (sometimes intermittent) record of the birds I encounter while hiking, see while driving, or spy outside my window. —Brian Willson



3IP Logo
©1997–2025 by 3IP