Eastern wood-pewee.
In honor of Memorial Day (observed), the sun returned this morning. The earth spun eastward, and no clouds hung in the way of the light from our glorious star. Pulled on my clothes, grabbed my dog, and five minutes later we started up the wooded Beech Hill trail.
Ruby-throated hummingbird.
And muddy trail it was. Here and there a flowing trail. The combination of running water and warming sunlight had the black flies swarming—but I didn’t mind. Birds all over the place.
The least flycatcher is still hanging around. Heard a booming partridge. Finally snuck up on a hummingbird sipping from the flowers of a highbush blueberry bush. A brilliant red singing cardinal showed up. Caught another raven pecking at what looked like an egg in the field near Beech Hill Road. And I tracked down another tanager—actually, I believe it was the same tanager I photographed a week or two ago. While I was walking slowly toward the tanager, a first-of-year pewee showed up suddenly and perched on a branch very near us. (Got a little video.) Also a first-of-year Blackburnian warbler high up in a pine. And behind me, a singing black-throated blue warbler.
That was fun.
This afternoon I rode my bike for the first time in what seemed like a fortnight but was only eleven days. Glorious ride. Glorious star. Glorious day for all who remember.
Scarlet tanager.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7:45 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Chestnut-sided warbler**
2. Black-throated green warbler**
3. American goldfinch
4. Eastern phoebe**
5. Black-and-white warbler (v)
6. Common yellowthroat**
7. Ovenbird**
8. Veery**
9. Eastern towhee
10. American robin*
11. Tufted titmouse (v)
12. Black-capped chickadee
13. American crow*
14. Gray catbird (v)
15. Least flycatcher (v)
16. American redstart**
17. Yellow warbler**
18. Mourning dove* (v)
19. Ruffed grouse (booming)
20. Nashville warbler (v)
21. Ruby-throated hummingbird
22. Northern cardinal**
23. Alder flycatcher
24. Blue jay
25. Song sparrow**
26. Savannah sparrow
27. Turkey vulture
28. Common raven
29. Tree swallow
30. Brown-headed cowbird (v)
31. Purple finch (v)
32. Hermit thrush (v)
33. Red-eyed vireo
34. Scarlet tanager
35. Eastern wood-pewee
36. Black-throated blue warbler (v)
37. Blackburnian warbler
Elsewhere
38. European starling
39. Herring gull
40. Rock pigeon
41. House sparrow (v)
42. Chipping sparrow (v)
43. Northern parula (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated blue warbler, black-throated green warbler, blackburnian warbler, blue jay, brown-headed cowbird, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common raven, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, European starling, gray catbird, hermit thrush, herring gull, house sparrow, least flycatcher, mourning dove, Nashville warbler, northern cardinal, northern parula, ovenbird, purple finch, red-eyed vireo, rock pigeon, ruby-throated hummingbird, ruffed grouse, savannah sparrow, scarlet tanager, song sparrow, tree swallow, tufted titmouse, turkey vulture, veery, yellow warbler
