Broad-winged Hawk.
Fog this morning, but warmer. And by the time Jack and I got to Beech Hill, the water droplets clinging to the budding twigs were glistening in the rising sun. And I saw a Broad-winged Hawk.
Palm Warbler.
I was still in the truck when I saw the hawk swoop between the tree trunks and perch high in the canopy. When we got out, it flew a bit farther away, perched again. As we approached that perch, it took off again. And this pattern continued for a couple hundred feet—until I finally got a (rather distant) photo of the bird, no doubt just arrived.
I say “just arrived” because I saw another four broad-wings moving overhead during today’s early hike, one pair and two other individuals. They were issuing their impossibly high-pitched squeee! calls. I also saw a Sharp-shinned Hawk.
And a ton of other birds—or, at least many ounces of ’em.
Among the surprises were: two Great Blue Herons flying over (one calling); a very vocal Brown Thrasher; a madly rattling Belted Kingfisher. All first-of-year birds. Also memorable were the new waves of Palm Warblers and Yell0w-rumped Warblers and Ruby-crowned Kinglets. (A big spring for kinglets.) Still a bunch of cowbirds around, more than any year I can remember. And a solitary, singing Red-winged Blackbird perched at the tip of a tree.
Perhaps most noteworthy, though, is that I overdressed this morning. Today, for the first time in 2014, it truly felt like spring.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Broad-winged Hawk
2. Hermit Thrush
3. Black-capped Chickadee*
4. Palm Warbler
5. Eastern Phoebe
6. Yellow-rumped Warbler
7. Northern Flicker
8. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
9. American Robin
10. Eastern Towhee
11. American Goldfinch**
12. American Crow*
13. Pileated Woodpecker (v)
14. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
15. White-throated Sparrow
16. Great Blue Heron†
17. Brown-headed Cowbird
18. Blue Jay (v)
19. Tree Swallow (v)
20. Field Sparrow (v)
21. Song Sparrow**
22. Savannah Sparrow
23. Chipping Sparrow
24. Brown Thrasher†
25. Red-winged Blackbird
26. Belted Kingfisher† (v)
27. Osprey
28. Downy Woodpecker
29. Sharp-shinned Hawk
30. Northern Cardinal** (v)
31. Tufted Titmouse (v)
32. House Finch** (v)
33. Herring Gull*
34. Mourning Dove* (v)
Elsewhere
35. House Finch (v)
36. Double-crested Cormorant
37. European Starling
38. Rock Pigeon
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, belted kingfisher, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, broad-winged hawk, brown thrasher, brown-headed cowbird, chipping sparrow, downy woodpecker, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, European starling, field sparrow, great blue heron, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern flicker, osprey, palm warbler, pileated woodpecker, red-winged blackbird, rock pigeon, ruby-crowned kinglet, savannah sparrow, sharp-shinned hawk, song sparrow, tree swallow, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch, white-throated sparrow, yellow-rumped warbler
