Savannah sparrow.
Got busy. Stuck to my desk until late in the day—and the days are shrinking fast. So there wasn’t much sunlight left when dog and I pulled into the Beech Hill parking lot. Couple cars there. And quite a few birds calling, including a nearby brown creeper, which I never got a look at. Clear up along the road and onto the open slope, I kept hearing the voice a hairy woodpecker. Never spotted that one, either.
Beech Nut.
But then I heard the chip! of a yellow-rumped warbler. And there they were, two of them, flittering away from the branches of a trailside birch. Apparently they haven’t all flown south yet.
Met a couple late hikers descending. Great scenery. No more birds until just below the summit, when I caught sight of a sparrow hopping about in a clump of bushes. It was skittish. Couldn’t get a bead on it. So we headed on up and around Beech Nut.
But coming back down I saw it again, so we waited. Sure enough, it popped up and offered me a photo op. Seems I might have my holiday greeting card this year.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 4:45 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Black-capped chickadee (v)
2. Blue jay** (v)
3. Brown creeper (v)
4. Hairy woodpecker (v)
5. American crow* (v)
6. Yellow-rumped warbler
7. Savannah sparrow
8. American robin* (v)
9. White-throated sparrow (v)
10. Tufted titmouse (v)
Elsewhere
11. Herring gull
12. European starling
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American crow, American robin, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, brown creeper, European starling, hairy woodpecker, herring gull, savannah sparrow, tufted titmouse, white-throated sparrow, yellow-rumped warbler
