House Finch.
First light, setting moon.
Thirty-three degrees didn’t stop dog and me
but rather seemed to invigorate us,
and also the breeze.
Downy Woodpecker.
The birds of Beech Hill though
hunkered down for a while
until the sun rose to just the right angle
for warming to bird-friendly temperatures,
and then the kinglets and yellow-rumps
began to flit
and I missed a great photograph of a singing warbler
when a croaking raven distracted me,
and so I got no photo of either.
Ravens can fly faster than you can imagine—
ravens on a mission.
I wish I could make the sound a raven makes.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:30 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. American Goldfinch*
2. Hermit Thrush
3. Downy Woodpecker**
4. American Robin*
5. Black-capped Chickadee*
6. Tufted Titmouse**
7. Northern Flicker*
8. American Crow*
9. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
10. Purple Finch (v)
11. White-throated Sparrow (v)
12. Yellow-rumped Warbler
13. Eastern Towhee
14. Mallard
15. Song Sparrow**
16. Northern Cardinal*
17. Wild Turkey (v)
18. Mourning Dove* (v)
19. Savannah Sparrow
20. Tree Swallow
21. Field Sparrow (v)
22. Eastern Phoebe*
23. Dark-eyed Junco**
24. American Kestrel
25. Common Raven
26. Blue Jay* (v)
27. Pileated Woodpecker (v)
28. Broad-winged Hawk (v)
Elsewhere
29. White-breasted Nuthatch
30. House Sparrow
31. House Finch
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American kestrel, American robin, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, broad-winged hawk, common raven, dark-eyed junco, downy woodpecker, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, field sparrow, hermit thrush, house finch, house sparrow, mallard, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern flicker, pileated woodpecker, purple finch, ruby-crowned kinglet, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tree swallow, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch, white-thraoted sparrow, wild turkey, yellow-rumped warbler
