Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are not uncommon. They nest at Beech Hill, where I hike with Captain Jack every day. But they’re shy birds—frequenting the high canopy, where all the leaves are, and all too quick to fly.
I heard a grosbeak’s sweet melodic song as we climbed the hill this morning. As I had most mornings for the past couple weeks or so. Over that time, I only got one glimpse of the bird: a quick flitting image zipping away around a stand of trees.
Today, while at the summit, a rose-breasted’s song erupted from the spruce grove, not fifty feet away. Snuck over to the other side, so the sun would illuminate the bird, took a few steps back.
And there he was.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7:45 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Chestnut-sided Warbler** (v)
2. Common Yellowthroat**
3. Ovenbird (v)
4. Downy Woodpecker
5. Chipping Sparrow
6. Eastern Bluebird
7. Gray Catbird** (v)
8. Yellow Warbler
9. Nashville Warbler (v)
10. Alder Flycatcher
11. Song Sparrow**
12. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
13. American Goldfinch** (v)
14. Red-eyed Vireo (v)
15. American Crow*
16. Eastern Towhee
17. Field Sparrow (v)
18. Eastern Phoebe
19. Purple Finch
20. Black-capped Chickadee (v)
21. Cedar Waxwing
22. Northern Cardinal (v)
23. Black-throated Green Warbler (v)
Elsewhere
24. House Finch
25. Herring Gull
26. Wild Turkey
27. Mourning Dove
28. Black-throated Green Warbler (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American goldfinch, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, black-throated greenwarbler, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat, downy woodpecker, eastern bluebird, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, field sparrow, gray catbird, herring gull, house finch, mourning dove, Nashville warbler, northern cardinal, ovenbird, purple finch, red-eyed vireo, rose-breasted grosbeak, song sparrow, wild turkey, yellow warbler
