Beech Nut.
The day dawned dreary. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. First bird I heard was a persistent mourning dove, cooing over and over at dawn’s first light. Eventually, after scores of dove calls, I awoke for good and got out of bed.
Turkey vulture.
A little drizzle came early, but nothing too dramatic. I had occasion to drive to Owls Head this morning about 9, and I heard what sounded like the repeated quay of a red-eyed vireo. I could’ve sworn that was the call—but it’s early enough that I have doubts, so I won’t count it as official. Then I heard also the unmistakably lovely call of a hermit thrush* (my own, and many others’, favorite bird song). Also goldfinches, jays, chickadees, and downy woodpecker.
Heavier rain came soon enough. Seriously heavy rain for a while there. I saw no birds at all, let alone new spring arrivals. But the rain tapered off by early afternoon, so dog and I headed for Beech Hill.
Right away I heard the call of a blue-headed vireo. Also a downy woodpecker and northern flicker. But in the wake of the rain, with wind-whipped gray clouds, not many birds made themselves known. The first I saw, in fact, was a turkey vulture sailing low over the summit. Then I spotted a gang of crows swirling up there also—possibly harassing the vulture?—and a solitary song sparrow flitting amid the underbrush.
We headed down into the wooded trail, dog and I. Heard and saw some chickadees. Heard (but didn’t see) a phoebe. Heard the croak of a raven. And that’s all we heard or saw.
But on the way back, I did spot a solitary kestrel high in the crown of an oak at the base of Beech Hill. This bird is one of a nesting pair, I feel sure. Somewhere nearby is a kestrel nesting cavity.
Rain came, rain went. Rain came again. This evening before dark, a few crows landed in the limbs of the big red oaks out back. I grabbed a couple photos.
And out back tonight, finally, in the wake of the rain: a chorus of spring peepers.
*Note: I mentioned the vireo-like quay to my friend Kristen, who mentioned that hermit thrushes have a similar note. Duh. That’s what it was: the thrush.
Today’s List
Mourning dove
House finch
Black-capped chickadee
Herring gull
Rock pigeon
Northern flicker
Hermit thrush
Red-eyed vireo
Blue jay
American goldfinch
Northern cardinal
Song sparrow
Blue-headed vireo
American goldfinch
Downy woodpecker
American crow
Turkey vulture
Eastern phoebe
American kestrel
American robin
Common raven
Two crows.
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American kestrel, American robin, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, blue-headed vireo, common raven, downy woodpecker, eastern phoebe, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern flicker, red-eyed vireo, rock pigeon, song sparrow, turkey vulture
