American robin.
I had understood that today would be a little cooler than yesterday, perhaps breezier, when in fact neither was the case. It was a mostly sunny day, with a light breeze, and temperatures up into the 50s (F) again. I couldn’t keep from embarking on another good long bike ride, and then Jack and I hiked all the Beech Hill trails.
Oak leaf.
Many birds, including two first-of-year species: a handful of juncos at Beech Hill’s Rockville Street trail head, and a nice-sized flock of grackles in town. Lots of robins everywhere. (They were all over Beech Hill.) The trails were muddy—especially the wooded ones, where seasonal streams follow the course of a few—but I didn’t care. I sloshed right through. Jack, on the other hand, tends to sidestep the mucky stretches in dainty fashion.
But for all the sun and warmth, still no great burst of seasonal energy. We’re in the the midst of that annual lull: spring before spring peepers.
Meanwhile, all that exercise got me pleasantly tuckered out kind of early tonight. So there you go.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 4 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Dark-eyed junco†
2. American robin*
3. Black-capped chickadee**
4. American crow*
5. Herring gull*
6. Mourning dove* (v)
7. Mallard*
Elsewhere
7. Tufted titmouse (v)
8. House finch (v)
9. Rock pigeon
10. House sparrow (v)
11. Turkey vulture
12. Northern cardinal
13. White-breasted nuthatch (v)
14. Golden-crowned kinglet
15. Common grackle†
16. European starling
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird
Trail through oaks.
Tags: American crow, American robin, black-capped chickadee, common grackle, dark-eyed junco, European starling, golden-crowned kinglet, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, mallard, mourning dove, northern cardinal, rock pigeon, tufted titmouse, turkey vulture, white-breasted nuthatch
