House Sparrow.
Very busy, at my desk all day—blyech. Jack just napped, though, until I finally tore myself loose. On our way out to the pickup, I got a photo of a female House Sparrow on my deck rail.
Red-tailed Hawk.
Beech Hill was actually kind of lovely by the time we got there: not hot, very windy, somewhat hazy, birds about. I tallied twenty species despite the bad listening conditions (the rush of wind-whipped foliage blocking out distant calls), including a little outbreak of Chestnut-sided Warblers, which must’ve just fledged their young ’uns. Also spotted the female redstart again and one of her fledglings. (I wonder if she just has the one.) Confirmed that the little guy can flutter from branch to branch and tree to tree. Redstarts sure are a fluttery kind of bird.
Waxwings and their young in flight. A solitary adult Red-tailed Hawk above. Four sparrow species. Four warblers in all. A cowbird to top things off.
Oh, and also: I found a blueberry. No, I mean a blue one. On the first of July.
Global warming, man.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 5:15 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Red-eyed Vireo (v)
2. American Robin (v)
3. Chestnut-sided Warbler
4. American Redstart**
5. Black-capped Chickadee (v)
6. Eastern Towhee
7. Ovenbird** (v)
8. American Goldfinch (v)
9. Yellow Warbler** (v)
10. Cedar Waxwing
11. Red-tailed Hawk
12. Common Yellowthroat (v)
13. Savannah Sparrow
14. American Crow* (v)
15. Herring Gull*
16. Gray Catbird (v)
17. Song Sparrow
18. Mourning Dove (v)
19. Field Sparrow (v)
20. Brown-headed Cowbird (v)
Elsewhere
21. Black-throated Green Warbler (v)
22. House Sparrow
24. House Finch (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Blueberry.
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, brown-headed cowbird, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, common yellowthraot, eastern towhee, field sparrow, gray catbird, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, mourning dove, ovenbird, red-eyed vireo, red-tailed hawk, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, yellow warbler
