Red-bellied Woodpecker (female).
For some reason I awoke in the wee hours. Decided to pad on out to the back deck to take a look at the moon, what with the eclipse and all. I wandered out there (naked) and found the moon up there in the oak trees, fuzzy with haze. It’s bright surface was about two-thirds obscured by the earth. I tried to take a couple photos, but that was pretty useless, so I went back to bed.
Red-bellied Woodpecker (male), Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 15 April 2015.
This morning was overcast and breezy and damp-looking, and rain was in the forecast, so I hauled Jack up to Beech Hill first thing. Mild temps but dark in the woods—not great for photos. But the birds were quiet. Well, except for a cardinal and a first-of-year-singing Hermit Thrush. As we approached the summit, I heard, off in the wind, the song of a towhee. First of many this year. Also a first of many singing Savannah Sparrows up there. (Second Savannah so far.)
Down by the Beech Hill Road parking lot, things were more active: many voices, including a flicker. A foreshadowing of things to come.
Because back down in the woods, when I heard the call of a Downy Woodpecker, I saw that we’d entered a little cluster of birds. Chickadees and nuthatches, Hermit Thrushes—and the little Downy. But I spotted other woodpeckers, too, and decided to turn my binocs on one. It was a sapsucker, first of the year (and only the second I’ve ever seen up there). Within seconds, another woodpecker appeared very near us: a female red-bellied. First I’ve seen on the hill since last year (and only about the sixth ever, I’m guessing). Soon after, I noticed the male of what I assumed to be a mating pair.
No Hairy or Pileated on today’s list, but those latter two make up for it, that’s for sure.
Eastern phoebe.
Surprisingly, I ended up with twenty-five species on my list this dim, misty morning. I’m already imagining what the (rainy?) morning might bring.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7:45 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. White-breasted Nuthatch
2. American Robin
3. American Crow* (v)
4. Herring Gull* (v)
5. Blue Jay (v)
6. Northern Cardinal**
7. Hermit Thrush
8. Song Sparrow**
9. Eastern Towhee† (v)
10. Savannah Sparrow (v)
11. Eastern Phoebe**
12. American Goldfinch (v)
13. House Finch** (v)
14. Dark-eyed Junco (v)
15. Northern Flicker (v)
16. Mourning Dove (v)
17. White-throated Sparrow (v)
18. Black-capped Chickadee**
19. Downy Woodpecker
20. Brown Creeper (v)
21. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker†
22. Red-bellied Woodpecker†
23. Osprey* (v)
24. Tufted Titmouse
25. Golden-crowned Kinglet
Elsewhere
26. House Sparrow (v)
27. Red-tailed Hawk
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, brown creeper, dark-eyed junco, downy woodpecker, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, golden-crowned kinglet, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern flicker, osprey, red-bellied woodpecker, red-tailed hawk, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch, white-throated sparrow, yellow-bellied sapsucker
