Chestnut-sided Warbler (female, gathering nest fluff).
Today I watched a pair
of Chestnut-sided Warblers—
a male, above, with fluffed side-feathers and raised tail
diving at the female, below,
the two of them engaging in a swift chase,
then the female, collecting tent-caterpillar silk
to use as nest fluff.
Horny male Chestnut-sided Warbler.
Too, I watched a bright male Scarlet Tanager
sing for a while in the green canopy.
And I listened to my favorite high-season
music of the bottomlands:
an Eastern Wood-pewee’s slow, slurred pronouncements,
the miraculous fountains of a Hermit Thrush,
and the subtle buzzy voice of a Black-throated Blue.
Also, I came upon the fresh carcass of
a Woodland Jumping Mouse—
the third dead small rodent
I’ve found
on the trail
in a week.
Life is made of miracles and mysteries.
Scarlet Tanager.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Black-throated Green Warbler** (v)
2. Ovenbird** (v)
3. American Redstart**
4. Common Yellowthroat
5. Tufted Titmouse** (v)
6. Red-eyed Vireo**
7. Chestnut-sided Warbler
8. Veery
9. Black-and-white Warbler (v)
10. Eastern Towhee
11. Northern Cardinal*
12. Alder Flycatcher
13. Eastern Wood-pewee (v)
14. Gray Catbird*
15. American Goldfinch*
16. Yellow Warbler
17. Hermit Thrush (v)
18. Cedar Waxwing (v)
19. Nashville Warbler (v)
20. Field Sparrow
21. Song Sparrow
22. Eastern Phoebe
23. Savannah Sparrow
24. Purple Finch
25. American Crow*
26. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v)
27. American Robin*
28. Tree Swallow
29. Chipping Sparrow**
30. Black-throated Blue Warbler (v)
31. White-breasted Nuthatch* (v)
32. Scarlet Tanager
Woodland Jumping Mouse (deceased).
Elsewhere
33. Blue Jay
34. Rock Pigeon
35. Common Grackle
36. Herring Gull
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-throated blue warbler, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common grackle, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, field sparrow, gray catbird, hermit thrush, herring gull, Nashville warbler, northern cardinal, ovenbird, purple finch, red-eyed vireo, rock pigeon, rose-breasted grosbeak, savannah sparrow, scarlet tanager, song sparrow, tree swallow, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch, yellow warbler
