American Kestrel devouring a snake.
At first light the gray ceiling of all outdoors
comforted me,
held me in and convinced me
that I will not die too soon.
Hermit Thrush.
Setting off with Jack in the truck, I encountered
a gray squirrel
darting frantically across the road,
the neighborhood fox in close pursuit.
But the fox turned when it saw the truck
and hurried away
through a side yard. I never thought
about saving a squirrel’s life in such a way.
Later, on a reddish hill, I watched a kestrel
sit, sit, wait, wait,
until it spotted a small snake—
it’s second of the morning—and devoured it fast.
I got photographs of birds and plants and sky
and Jack, my dog.
Sorted through them, I remembered
the gray on the head of the kestrel.
Newlyweds.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:15 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Northern Cardinal**
2. Hermit Thrush**
3. Eastern Phoebe*
4. Barred Owl (v)
5. American Goldfinch*
6. Downy Woodpecker** (v)
7. Black-capped Chickadee*
8. American Robin*
9. Blue Jay* (v)
10. Blue-headed Vireo† (v)
11. Mourning Dove**
12. Eastern Towhee
13. Northern Flicker*
14. White-throated Sparrow** (v)
15. Song Sparrow**
16. Ruffed Grouse (booming)
17. Yellow-rumped Warbler
18. Wild Turkey (v)
19. Herring Gull*
20. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
21. Purple Finch (v)
22. Tree Swallow
23. Field Sparrow (v)
24. Savannah Sparrow
25. Mallard
26. American Kestrel
27. Palm Warbler
28. Tufted Titmouse** (v)
29. White-breasted Nuthatch* (v)
30. Eastern Bluebird
31. Common Raven
32. Osprey* (v)
33. Pileated Woodpecker (v)
34. Broad-winged Hawk† (v)
Elsewhere
35. House Finch (v)
36. European Starling
37. House Sparrow
38. Rock Pigeon
39. Red-tailed Hawk
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird
Tags: American goldfinch, American kestrel, American robin, barred owl, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, blue-headed vireo, broad-winged hawk, common raven, downy woodpecker, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, European starling, field sparrow, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, mallard, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern flicker, osprey, palm warbler, pileated woodpecker, purple finch, red-tailed hawk, rock pigeon, ruby-crowned kinglet, ruffed grouse, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tree swallow, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch, white-throated sparrow, wild turkey, yellow-rumped warbler
