Great Black Wasp (Sphex pensylvanicus).
After my first week of working for someone else in two decades, I had a busy Saturday. Lots of errands saved up. However, I went ahead and decided to hike Beech Hill with Jack at midday—despite the relative warmth of this particular day. And humidity. I had in mind an experiment: just how accurate has been my conviction that birds hide out in the heat of a summer day?
Surrender.
Sure enough, I neither heard nor saw any birds until we got about half way up the hill. (Only saw three people, too, and they looked to be panting a little in their descent. Temperatures in the 80s (F) is hot for Maine folks.) But then I heard the distant cry of a towhee. And then a squee! of a waxwing. And then a Savannah Sparrow flitted off the trail in front of us and dipped into a patch of thick grass. Then I heard (and saw) a pair of yellow-rumps in flight. Then I heard a goldfinch flying over. Then the alarm chatter of a catbird.
Eventually, I counted ten species up there today. But the steamy sky—it had begun with a little sun but by the time we returned to the truck, a few raindrops were spattering—imbued in this day a nice, unique summery sort of character.
September is summer, after all.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 12:45 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Eastern Towhee (v)
2. Cedar Waxwing
3. Savannah Sparrow
4. Yellow-rumped Warbler
5. Gray Catbird
6. American Goldfinch (v)
7. Common Yellowthroat (v)
8. Song Sparrow (v)
9. White-throated Sparrow (v)
10. Black-capped Chickadee (v)
Elsewhere
11. Herring Gull
12. American Crow
13. Mourning Dove
v = Voice only
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, black-capped chickadee, Cedar waxwing, common yellowthroat, eastern towhee, gray catbird, herring gull, mourning dove, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, white-throated sparrow, yellow-rumped warbler
