American robin.
Not the birdiest day ever, but a good one. A busy one, for sure—cool and kind of mostly overcast as we await the promise of some good, soaking rain. This forecast, in fact, had me a little preoccupied with buying a few supplies to temporarily patch a leaky section of roof, so I had that in the back of my mind. Also some other promises to keep. But in mid-afternoon, it was nice to be able to take a break to take two dogs to Beech Hill to meet two pals, Liz and Daniel.
Three crows.
Saw a Cooper’s hawk fluttering up to the hill as we were arriving. Heard the usual redstarts near the parking lot. Saw song sparrows and yellowthroats, heard alder flycatchers and catbirds. And crows were having some sort of pow-wow on the barrens near the summit. Not sure what they were up to, but whatever it was, it was loud.I think I counted four and twenty of ’em.
Got supplies, applied the temporary roof patch. Then, later this evening—quite late in blue gloaming, in fact—I heard the wheep! of the great crested flycatcher out back. An oddly comforting sound.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 2 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Cooper’s hawk
2. Eastern phoebe**
3. American redstart**
4. American robin*
5. Chestnut-sided warbler** (v)
6. Red-eyed vireo** (v)
7. Tufted titmouse** (v)
8. American crow*
9. Yellow warbler**
10. Song sparrow**
11. Common yellowthroat**
12. Alder flycatcher (v)
13. Gray catbird** (v)
14. American goldfinch**
15. Savannah sparrow
16. Eastern towhee (v)
17. Black-capped chickadee (v)
18. Black-throated green warbler (v)
Elsewhere
19. House finch (v)
20. Mourning dove
21. Northern cardinal (v)
22. Herring gull
23. House sparrow (v)
24. Great crested flycatcher (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, chestnut-sided warbler, common yellowthroat, cooper's hawk, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, gray catbird, great crested flycatcher, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, mourning dove, northern cardinal, red-eyed vireo, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, yellow warbler
