Ruby-throated hummingbird.
Was steady rain this morning, so for a change I didn’t hike early. Hung around the house, lights on in the rooms, watching the gray drippy day out the windows. Eventually, the rain stopped, and in early afternoon, the sun even made an appearance. Jack and I got to Beech Hill about 4 p.m.
Ovenbird.
Plenty of birds out, despite the odd hour—I chalked it up to the whole post-rain emergence thing. Heard the tanager again in the trees below the summit. (Pretty sure it’s the same bird, since it was singing nearly all four-note phrases.) Met an acquaintance at the summit and so chatted a while before descending the open trail.
I forgot to change my camera battery, so I didn’t take as many photos as usual. (Didn’t want to run out of juice just as the best pic of the day showed up.) However, there were still a couple good ones. Missed a nice redstart (got an OK one), got an OK blue-headed vireo. Coming back over the summit, we talked with a couple other hikers. Then, as we were about to enter the woods again, I spotted my second hummingbird of the afternoon—both were feeding on highbush blueberries—and this one sat for a photo.
Did you ever notice how it looks like they’ve got human eyes?
In the lower woods, apparently we got too near an ovenbird’s nest, and it perched conveniently on nearby snags and branches. Then, nearing the end of our hike, I heard a wood thrush. First of the year.
Nice.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 4 p.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Black-capped chickadee**
2. Ovenbird**
3. Chestnut-sided warbler
4. Eastern phoebe
5. Black-throated green warbler (v)
6. American goldfinch** (v)
7. Eastern towhee
8. Herring gull*
9. Gray catbird
10. Black-and-white warbler
11. American robin**
12. American redstart
13. American crow*
14. Nashville warbler (v)
15. Northern cardinal** (v)
16. American woodcock
17. Nashville warbler (v)
18. Veery
19. Common yellowthroat**
20. Yellow warbler
21. Great crested flycatcher (v)
22. Song sparrow**
23. Scarlet tanager (v)
24. Turkey vulture
25. Osprey
26. Savannah sparrow
27. Ruby-throated hummingbird
28. Field sparrow
29. Tufted titmouse
30. Chipping sparrow
31. Mourning dove* (v)
32. Northern flicker (v)
33. Hairy woodpecker
34. Blue-headed vireo
35. Hermit thrush (v)
36. Wood thrush† (v)
37. Red-eyed vireo (v)
Elsewhere
38. House finch
39. House sparrow
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, American woodcock, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, blue-headed vireo, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, field sparrow, gray catbird, great crested flycatcher, hairy woodpecker, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, mourning dove, Nashville warbler, northern cardinal, northern flicker, osprey, ovenbird, red-eyed vireo, ruby-throated hummingbird, savannah sparrow, scarlet, song sparrow, tanager, tufted titmouse, turkey vulture, veery, wood thrush, yellow warbler
