American kestrel.
Sunny and cool morning. Plenty birdy out. Clouds moved over later—and Jack and I hiked Beech Hill.
A birdy hill, too. The second voice I heard, in fact, was a first-of-year eastern towhee. Funny how, when I first hear this familiar call every spring, it takes me a moment to place it. Weep! Weep! And also a half-assed, Drink your… (no “tea!”). Lots of other birds up there, too, including more than one phoebe (already paired up, is my guess, from how they were making their faint little spring peeps). In the next birch up from one phoebe, I saw a larger —a kestrel. It flapped away into the little oak as we drew near.
Three hills.
Then it posed for photos. A handsome, colorful male.
Also saw an osprey fly over, which is always nice. Plenty of other singing birds. They’re coming. Arriving every day. Pretty soon dog and I will be taking early hikes up the wooded trail each morning.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 4:15 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Song sparrow* (v)
2. Eastern towhee† (v)
3. Mourning dove (v)
4. Black-capped chickadee** (v)
5. American crow* (v)
6. Eastern phoebe*
7. Northern flicker (v)
8. American robin* (v)
9. American kestrel
10. Herring gull*
11. Osprey
12. White-breasted nuthatch
13. Northern cardinal** (v)
Elsewhere
14. Tufted titmouse (v)
15. House finch
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird
Tags: American crow, American kestrel, American robin, black-capped chickadee, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, herring gull, house finch, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern flicker, osprey, song sparrowe, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch
