American Woodcock.
Kind of an interesting day. Sunny to begin with, but I worked at my desk first thing. Then I had an appointment, where I received discouraging news, so then I worked some more. Then I took a bicycle break and rode fourteen miles and did a few errands. Finally, I took Jack on a late-in-the-day hike up Beech Hill.
Savannah Sparrow.
Not many people there when we arrived. Quite a few singing birds, though—warblers, vireo, mimic, tit, crow, sparrow, swallow. Then, at the summit, things got real interesting. In fact, the greenery around the spruce grove, was hopping with assorted species. A Chipping Sparrow singing from high in one tree. A Gray Catbird scolding us from a low branch. Common Yellowthroats and Eastern Towhees chipping and singing. The fairytale song of a Wood Thrush coming from down in the woods nearby.
Then I saw a coppery bird flutter down into a tangled thicket and begin emitting an odd, intermittent alarm note. We moved slowly nearer then stood motionless in the trail, Jack behind me, for about five minutes as flies and mosquitoes hovered, catbird scolded, towhees sang, a Blue Jay down below. Waiting. Waiting. The bird popped up, fluttering: a woodcock. Aha. Chicks down in there somewhere. I grabbed a few hasty photos and a short video.
Met a friend then. We heard a raven croaking repeatedly in the trees below. Twenty-seven birds in all up there.
And on the way to town, I spied a Green Heron flapping along above the road. We were all heading in the same direction.
Silvery Blue.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 5:30 p.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Gray Catbird
2. Red-eyed Vireo** (v)
3. American Redstart** (v)
4. Tufted Titmouse (v)
5. Common Yellowthroat**
6. Ovenbird (v)
7. American Robin** (v)
8. American Crow*
9. American Goldfinch**
10. Chestnut-sided Warbler** (v)
11. Yellow Warbler** (v)
12. Song Sparrow**
13. Tree Swallow
14. Eastern Towhee
15. Savannah Sparrow
16. Black-capped Chickadee (v)
17. Chipping Sparrow**
18. Wood Thrush (v)
19. Blue Jay (v)
20. Alder Flycatcher (v)
21. Cedar Waxwing**
22. American Woodcock
23. Eastern Phoebe
24. Brown-headed Cowbird
25. Common Raven (v)
26. Veery (v)
27. Purple Finch (v)
Elsewhere
28. House Finch (v)
29. Osprey (v)
30. Herring Gull
31. Northern Cardinal (v)
32. House Finch (v)
33. Rock Pigeon
34. Mourning Dove
35. Double-crested Cormorant
36. Green Heron†
37. European Starling
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird
Cirrus.
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, American woodcock, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, brown-headed cowbird, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common raven, common yellowthroat, double-crested cormorant, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, European starling, gray catbird, green heron, herring gull, house finch, mourning dove, northern cardinal, osprey, ovenbird, purple finch, red-eyed vireo, rock pigeon, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tree swallow, tufted titmouse, veery, wood thrush, yellow warbler
