Gray catbird.
We humans are animals. Sure, some might disagree, but consider the essential definition—living things that can travel about on their own. And as a consequence, we’re governed by mysterious time. By that I mean time and motion are inextricably linked. I believe that. Therefore, I believe that if you simply get to moving, you will enter the realm of coincidence, serendipity, and timing.
Purple finch at the summit.
For example, if I hadn’t awakened from a bad dream about pulling worms through the skin of my dog, I wouldn’t have arrived at Beech Hill at the moment I did and climbed out of my truck at exactly the time a hermit thrush was singing. I keep track of the order in which I identify birds, and today’s first was the thrush. It’s not an uncommon bird up there, true, but it’s not as vocal as, say, the red-eyed vireo or chestnut-sided warbler or even its fellow thrush, the veery. Rarely is it the first bird I list. Today it was.
Another example: if I hadn’t been standing at the summit just at the moment that purple finch began singing from among the spruce boughs, I wouldn’t have nabbed that photo. Nor would Jack and I have been standing there silently as a woman and her dog reached the summit from the open trail and, the woman being distracted and her dog being mellow, we wouldn’t have startled her as she got as close as a dozen feet without seeing us.
Nor would I have heard a pair of scarlet tanagers singing—one at the Beech Hill Road parking lot, one at the Rockville Street parking lot. Nor would I have seen two starlings, at different points on the hill, after having not seen any starlings up there all year. Or heard the lovely rare strains of that wood thrush just as we returned over the summit and into the woodland.
Deer crossing the lower wooded trail.
Nor would we have been coming down the lower wooded trail just at the same moment a small herd of whitetails passed not far ahead of us. We were walking quietly, as always. Jack heard them first, and I slowed to check out what it was he’d detected. (Usually it’s a squirrel or chipmunk or turkey flock.) And there down the trail stepped the last deer of the bunch, nonchalantly crossing about fifty yards away. I even got a couple crappy photos.
Nor would we meet the loves of our lives or discover our passions or see those perfect sunsets—or sunrises. Because you gotta get up early if you’re gonna see a sunrise. At least at this time of year.
Sure, there’s planning. There’s learning, working, believing. But when it comes right down to it, truly I believe, it’s all a matter of timing.
Note: the road-killed robin was gone when I cycled by this afternoon. My wish is that a scavenging crow took care of it for me.
Savannah sparrow ("Who, me?").
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7:30 a.m., I walked all trails.
1. Hermit thrush (voice)
2. Ovenbird (voice)
3. Red-eyed vireo (voice)
4. Common yellowthroat
5. Cedar waxwing
6. Eastern phoebe (voice)
7. Chestnut-sided warbler
8. Eastern towhee
9. American robin
10. Rose-breasted grosbeak (voice)
11. Veery (voice)
12. Gray catbird
13. American goldfinch
14. Yellow warbler (voice)
15. Tree swallow
16. Black-capped chickadee
17. Mourning dove
18. American crow
19. White-breasted nuthatch (voice)
20. European starling
21. Wood thrush (voice)
22. Field sparrow
23. Savannah sparrow
24. Scarlet tanager (voice)
25. Chipping sparrow
26. White-throated sparrow (voice)
27. Northern flicker
28. Tufted titmouse (voice)
29. Black-and-white warbler (voice)
30. American redstart
31. Hairy woodpecker
32. Purple finch
33. Red-breasted nuthatch
34. Black-throated green warbler (voice)
Elsewhere
35. House sparrow
36. Herring gull
Common yellowthroat (male).
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, European starling, field sparrow, gray catbird, hairy woodpecker, hermit thrush, herring gull, house sparrow, mourning dove, northern flicker, ovenbird, purple finch, red-breasted nuthatch, red-eyed vireo, rose-breasted grosbeak, savannah sparrow, scarlet tanager, tree swallow, tufted titmouse, veery, white-breasted nuthatch, white-throated sparrow, wood thrush, yellow warbler
