Today I realized what my favorite bird’s song is—current favorite anyway. The song of the Savannah Sparrow.
Sure, I have other favorites—the thrushes’ songs, of course, and the song of the Black-throated Blue Warbler (my favorite wood-warbler)—but something about the Savannah’s subtle-yet-loud, unassuming-yet-beautiful, far-carrying, wee-yet-unbridled song just thrills me like no other. Simple as that.
Maybe it’s because I haven’t heard it as often as usual this year. (So infrequently did I hear it that I feared no Savannahs were nesting in my patch for the first time ever I can remember.) But this morning’s song in the fog—with the little hiccup at the end—lifted my spirits in beautiful ways.
Yep, it’s my favorite.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7:15 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Song Sparrow**
2. American Goldfinch
3. Tufted Titmouse (v)
4. Common Yellowthroat
5. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v)
6. Veery** (v)
7. Black-throated Green Warbler (v)
8. Nashville Warbler
9. Eastern Towhee
10. Alder Flycatcher (v)
11. Tree Swallow
12. Savannah Sparrow
13. Field Sparrow
14. Chestnut-sided Warbler**
15. Yellow Warbler
16. Northern Cardinal* (v)
17. Chipping Sparrow*
18. Gray Catbird
19. Purple Finch (v)
20. Red-eyed Vireo**
21. Ovenbird (v)
22. Black-capped Chickadee** (v)
23. Black-billed Cuckoo (v)
24. Herring Gull* (v)
25. American Redstart (v)
Elsewhere
26. Eastern Phoebe
27. Blue Jay (v)
28. American Robin
29. American Crow
30. Mourning Dove
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-billed cuckoo, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, field sparrow, gray catbird, herring gull, Nashville warbler, northern cardinal, ovenbird, purple finch, red-eyed vireo, rose-breasted grosbeak, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tree swallow, tufted titmouse, veery, yellow warbler
