Common Raven.
The excitement today came early. I rose with the sun, fed the pets and heated up some coffee, and drove up Route 1 to Rockville Street with Jack—the shortest distance to Beech Hill Preserve. Approaching the left turn on Rockville, I noticed three dark birds flapping right to left ahead. We converged at the corner and I realized the birds were two gulls harassing a raven. Occasionally the larger bird, as ravens will do, flipped upside down, talons extended. It seems automatic when they do that—not at all panicked—and as I slowed the pickup, the raven perched on a snag at the edge of a little roadside pasture.
Vee (Canada geese).
I slowed, stopped, rolled down my window and grabbed my camera. Got a couple mediocre photos and a short video—which captured the bird dipping off the snag and lighting on the ground beneath the trees and out of view. As we began to move again, I saw a second raven down there. It looked like they were drinking from a runoff pool.
Later, coming down the wooded Beech Hill trail, I heard a raven’s guttural call, looked up, and saw the pair of them flying fast—one was chasing the other, apparently—above the still-bare canopy.
Other highlights of our early hike featured other birds in flight: a male northern harrier, an adult bald eagle, and a vee of thirty-seven geese.
But all this warmish-yet-brisk spring day, I kept remembering the ravens.
P.S. Mars is really bright these nights.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7:15 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Black-capped Chickadee*
2. American Crow*
3. American Robin*
4. Ruffed Grouse (wingbeats)
5. Red-winged Blackbird
6. Canada Goose
7. Song Sparrow* (v)
8. Northern Harrier
9. Herring Gull*
10. Mallard*
11. Bald Eagle
12. Blue Jay
13. Northern Cardinal** (v)
14. American Goldfinch (v)
15. Northern Flicker (v)
16. Common Raven*
17. Mourning Dove*
18. Hairy Woodpecker
19. White-breasted Nuthatch
Elsewhere
20. House Sparrow
21. Rock Dove
22. Tufted Titmouse (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, bald eagle, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, Canada goose, common raven, hairy woodpecker, herring gull, house sparrow, mallard, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern flicker, northern harrier, red-winged blackbird, rock dove, ruffed grouse, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch
