Savannah Sparrow.
A calm, gray, lovely morning. Up early with Jack, and before we knew it, we were walking quietly up a quiet hill. Plenty of bird voices on the way up through the woods, and a few little migrants as we reached the open fields—including Palm Warbler, yellow-rump, and Ruby-crowned Kinglet. I could tell they were moving in off the bay. In little waves they came.
Eastern Towhee.
Bunches of love-sick ruby-crowneds, in fact, singing like crazy all up and down the hill. Plus cowbirds—five or six of those, I bet. I’m not really a fan of parasitic species, but these were mildly amusing, chasing each other around while emitting their loud, annoying burbling call. More sapsuckers, too. I heard one hammering at up at the summit (I had already started back down), and the one guy hammering down by the road on the particularly loud tree. I love their jaunty little drum beat. This spring I’ve seen far more Beech Hill sapsuckers than ever.
Three little quiet Savannah sparrows chasing around up at the barrens. An osprey’s scream from overhead.
Right about now, you can tell, love is in air.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Herring Gull*
2. Northern Flicker** (v)
3. Downy Woodpecker
4. Northern Cardinal** (v)
5. Hermit Thrush
6. Black-capped Chickadee**
7. American Robin*
8. Tufted Titmouse (v)
9. Brown-headed Cowbird
10. American Goldfinch (v)
11. American Crow*
12. Mourning Dove* (v)
13. Eastern Towhee
14. Song Sparrow**
15. Palm Warbler
16. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
17. Yellow-rumped Warbler
18. Eastern Phoebe
19. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
20. Savannah Sparrow
21. Red-winged Blackbird
22. House Finch**
23. White-throated Sparrow (v)
24. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
25. Blue Jay
26. Mallard
27. Osprey (v)
28. Pileated Woodpecker (v)
Elsewhere
29. Wild Turkey
30. House Sparrow (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Eastern phoebe.
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, brown-headed cowbird, downy woodpecker, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, mallard, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern flicker, osprey, palm warbler, pileated woodpecker, red-winged blackbird, ruby-crowned kinglet, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch, white-throated sparrow, wild turkey, yellow-bellied sapsucker, yellow-rumped warbler
