Savannah sparrow.
Today’s forecast called for a 90 percent chance of rain, but it was merely overcast and muggy when dog and I headed for Beech Hill. A bit cool, but not bad. Shirtsleeve weather. The undergrowth is lush and green and just about what I’d expect for the first of June, but after my stunning Monhegan weekend, I didn’t have much hope for any memorable bird sightings.
Upper wooded Beech Hill trail.
Sure enough, I counted only the commonest species most of the way uphill: ovenbird, towhee, catbird, yellowthroat, vireo, chestnut-sided warbler. Alder flycatchers, once they finally arrive, don’t much shut up—but some early nesters have gone quiet. No song of phoebe, for instance, or robin.
It’s also hard to get decent photos on such a gray day, at least with a telephoto lens. Fog and mist covered the ocean-side slope and wafted along the peaks of the inland hills. So on a lark I brought my digital recorder. I focused on alternate calls—chestnut-sided, redstart, veery—and got a snippet of the crazy-ass yellowthroat. But the wind picked up enough to interfere, I’m sure, and there’re always a few noisy vehicles passing on Rockville Street or Route 17.
Mourning doves on the Beech Nut chimney.
I was surprised to have counted thirty-one species once our hike was done. Perhaps the oddest sighting was a pair of mallards in a tiny woodland vernal pool.
Pulled up back home and noticed a female house sparrow poking around the rock wall. Hers was my best portrait of the day.
Before long it rained, fairly heavily. It was nice to get some rain for a change.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:30 a.m., I walked all trails.
1. Ovenbird (voice)
2. Red-eyed vireo (voice)
3. Common yellowthroat
4. Chestnut-sided warbler
5. Gray catbird
6. Eastern towhee
7. American redstart (voice)
8. Alder flycatcher (voice)
9. Black-capped chickadee (voice)
10. Nashville warbler (voice)
11. Song sparrow
12. Savannah sparrow
13. Common raven (voice)
14. American crow (voice)
15. Yellow warbler (voice)
16. Hermit thrush (voice)
17. Blue jay (voice)
18. American goldfinch
19. Chipping sparrow (voice)
20. White-throated sparrow (voice)
21. Mourning dove
22. Northern cardinal (voice)
23. Tufted titmouse (voice)
24. Eastern phoebe
25. Northern flicker (voice)
26. American robin
27. Rose-breasted grosbeak (voice)
28. Black-throated blue warbler (voice)
29. Eastern wood-pewee (voice)
30. Veery (voice)
31. Mallard
House sparrow (female).
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, black-capped chickadee, black-throated blue warbler, blue jay, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common raven, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, gray catbird, hermit thrush, mallard, mourning dove, Nashville warbler, northern cardinal, northern flicker, ovenbird, red-eyed vireo, rose-breasted grosbeak, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, veery, white-throated sparrow, yellow warbler
