Tree Swallow.
These blue-sky mornings, hiking with
my loyal dog, surrounded by
mosquitoes and black flies, I spy
a few noteworthy birds of blue.
Great Crested Flycatcher.
Bluebirds, of course—though none today—
and tree swallows, whose backs display
a silky sheen in daylight. Too,
occasionally, sky-blue jays.
This morning, though, I heard a bird—
emit a loud sharp spitting sound—
and just before it flew away
ID’d an Indigo Bunting.
Alas, no decent pictures, tho.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7:15 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. American Redstart**
2. Ovenbird
3. Blue-headed Vireo (v)
4. Chestnut-sided Warbler
5. Blue Jay* (v)
6. American Goldfinch*
7. American Crow*
8. Eastern Towhee
9. Veery
10. Black-capped Chickadee**
11. Ruffed Grouse (drumming)
12. Common Raven
13. Great Crested Flycatcher†
14. Tufted Titmouse**
15. Common Yellowthroat
16. Gray Catbird*
17. Northern Cardinal* (v)
18. Mourning Dove*
19. Yellow Warbler
20. Red-bellied Woodpecker
21. Hairy Woodpecker (v)
22. Nashville Warbler (v)
23. Black-and-white Warbler
24. Northern Parula (v)
25. Wild Turkey (v)
26. White-breasted Nuthatch* (v)
27. Scarlet Tanager (v)
28. American Robin*
29. Field Sparrow (v)
30. Song Sparrow**
31. Brown Thrasher
32. Tree Swallow
33. Purple Finch
34. Savannah Sparrow
35. Eastern Kingbird
36. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v)
37. Pileated Woodpecker* (v)
38. Indigo Bunting†
39. Black-billed Cuckoo†
40. Downy Woodpecker (v)
41. Black-throated Green Warbler** (v)
42. Osprey (v)
43. Red-eyed Vireo (v)
Elsewhere
44. Herring Gull
45. European Starling
46. Northern Flicker
47. Common Grackle
48. Rock Pigeon
49. Chimney Swift (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-billed cuckoo, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, blue-headed vireo, brown thrasher, chestnut-sided warbler, chimney swift, common grackle, common raven, common yellowthroat, downy woodpecker, eastern kingbird, eastern towhee, European starling, field sparrow, gray catbird, great crested flycatcher, hairy woodpecker, herring gull, indigo bunting, mourning dove, Nashville warbler, northern cardinal, northern flicker, northern parula, osprey, ovenbird, pileated woodpecker, purple finch, red-bellied woodpecker, red-eyed vireo, rock pigeon, rose-breasted grosbeak, ruffed grouse, savannah sparrow, scarlet tanager, song sparrow, tree swallow, tufted titmouse, veery, white-breasted nuthatch, wild turkey, yellow warbler
