Tufted titmouse.
First time I stepped out into this fresh cool day, I heard the love song of a titmouse: peter-peter-peter! And soon after, I heard the rapid-fire call—also a spring phenomenon, in my experience—of a nuthatch, the warbles of a house finch, and the cawing of crows. But titmice seemed particularly active today.
White-breasted nuthatch.
E.g., I heard their spring song again at Beech Hill late in the day down near the parking lot. Not many birds at the hill today, but there were some amusing landscape captions written in the snow (“Tree,” “Rock,” “Exhibit A: Snow”), a few scraps of blue sky, and some nice long moody views. Returning to town, we passed a flock of robins, and I saw a solitary turkey vulture up over Dodges Mountain.
But looking back on this day, the lovesick titmice are what stood out to me.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 4:30 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Tufted titmouse* (v)
2. Black-capped chickadee** (v)
3. American crow* (v)
Elsewhere
4. House finch (v)
5. White-breasted nuthatch
6. Herring gull
7. American robin
8. Turkey vulture
9. Mourning dove
10. European starling
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American crow, American robin, black-capped chickadee, European starling, herring gull, house finch, mourning dove, tufted titmouse, turkey vulture, white-breasted nuthatch
