Northern Shrike.
There’s the Gaelic festival of Imbolc, the Christians’ Candlemas, and no doubt numerous other observances of this mid-way point between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox. For instance, Tufted Titmice begin singing peter-peter-peter! right about now, and chickadees sing fee-bee!
Brown Creeper.
Pussy willows were budding on the Beech Hill trail this morning. The trail itself was half ice, half mud. The sky was overcast, with rippling, purplish highlights. The birds were active. Those titmice and chickadees. A pair of robins in the upper twigs of a naked hardwood, and near the robins, a solitary Northern Shrike. Also crows, at least one Eastern Bluebird, a goldfinch, a couple-three White-breasted Nuthatches, a brown creeper.
No doubt we’ll have more snow. No doubt the temperature will plummet yet below zero (F). But never mind any of that. Because You can truly sort of feel it in the air.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 9:30 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Tufted Titmouse (v)
2. Black-capped Chickadee
3. American Robin*
4. Northern Shrike
5. American Crow*
6. Eastern Bluebird
7. White-breasted Nuthatch
8. American Goldfinch
9. Brown Creeper
Elsewhere
10. Herring gull
11. Black duck
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
Horizon.
