Ovenbird.
Birding with a dog has its drawbacks.
Oh, but I’m not complaining: Jack is a remarkably agreeable birding dog (as opposed to “bird dog”). He’s quiet. Never barks on the trail. I say, “Wait,” and he stops and waits. Quietly. As long as it takes. I can mutter, “Slowww,” and his pace will slow to a lazy stroll. He’s incredibly patient. I’ve managed some great looks and decent photos with Jack on the end of a leash held loosely in my left hand.
Northern harrier.
But I do think twice about traipsing off-trail. It’s the tick thing—there’re two of us now collecting ’em. Also poison ivy. I’ve notice those tall, reddish, waxy, three-leaved buggers popping up at particular points in the trail the past week or so, and I don’t dare stop in those places for fear that Jack will start sniffing around and end up with itch-oil all over him.
Then again, I suppose if ticks and poison ivy are all I have to worry about, I don’t have a lot of worries.
Another chilly morning. About 40 degrees (F) to start the day. And a gusty breeze. But a blazingly bright sun in a pure blue sky can make up for cold and wind. Sort of. Still not a lot of black flies and mosquitos, though.
Despite the lack of flies, there was no dearth of warblers. I counted ten today: ovenbird, black-throated green, yellowthroat, parula, Nashville, chestnut-sided, yellow, prairie, black-throated blue, black-and-white. Missed good chances at photos of a Nashville, black-throated blue, and black-and-white; got distant but decent shots of ovenbird and yellowthroat.
We also came upon a harrier perched in a scrubby tree. This surprised all of us—well, except Jack, who missed the hawk somehow.
Common yellowthroat.
Along with the poison ivy, berry bushes are growing rapidly along the wooded trails: raspberry, strawberry, blackberry—and high-bush blueberry. Which has me wondering why I haven’t yet seen a ruby-throated hummingbird. They love the high-bush blooms, and they’re blooming. Still no redstarts, either. I suspect the unseasonable chill has waylaid those two species.
Heard a raven in flight as we returned down the lower wooded trail. Ravens emit such a amazing range of croaks and purrs and gurgles and growls—any time I hear one I can’t help but stop and marvel at its voice. Jack even heard this one crossing unseen somewhere above the canopy.
Beech Hill List
At 7:30 a.m., I walked all trails.
1. American crow (voice)
2. Ovenbird
3. Black-throated green warbler (voice)
4. Black-capped chickadee
5. Common yellowthroat
6. Northern parula (voice)
7. Nashville warbler
8. Chestnut-sided warbler
9. Eastern towhee
10. Mourning dove
11. American goldfinch
12. Gray catbird (voice)
13. Herring gull (voice)
14. Northern harrier
15. Tree swallow
16. Eastern phoebe
17. Savannah sparrow
18. Song sparrow
19. White-throated sparrow (voice)
20. Yellow warbler (voice)
21. Blue jay (voice)
22. Prairie warbler (voice)
23. Black-throated blue warbler
24. Common raven (voice)
25. Blue-headed vireo
26. American robin (voice)
27. Black-and-white warbler
28. Northern cardinal (voice)
Elsewhere
29. Tufted titmouse
30. Rock pigeon
Savannah sparrow.
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated blue warbler, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, blue-headed vireo, chestnut-sided warbler, common raven, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, gray catbird, herring gull, mourning dove, Nashville warbler, northern cardinal, northern harrier, northern parula, ovenbird, prairie, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tree swallow, warbler, white-throated sparrow, yellow warbler
