Rained early, but it moved on, so dog and I hit the trailhead by about mid-morning. Drippy about 60° (F), with plenty of mosquitoes (which, interestingly, have seemed most successful in biting me on the neck).
More birds than I imagined—including a first-of-year Barred Owl letting go with a brief but unmistakable hoot from down on the southern wood edge. Also a raven. A sapsucker down in the trees. And in perhaps the funnest moment, the discovery of a couple of blue flag irises—first of year.
Should be clearing up tomorrow, election day. Will hike early then ride my bicycle up to the town office to vote.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 9:39 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Ovenbird
2. Red-eyed Vireo
3. Eastern Phoebe
4. Black-throated Green Warbler
5. Common Yellowthroat
6. Veery
7. American Goldfinch
8. American Redstart
9. Gray Catbird
10. Chestnut-sided Warbler
11. Alder Flycatcher
12. Tufted Titmouse
13. Eastern Towhee
14. Yellow Warbler
15. Song Sparrow
16. American Crow
17. Prairie Warbler
18. Purple Finch
19. Cedar Waxwing
20. Tree Swallow
21. Common Raven
22. American Robin
23. House Wren
24. Blue Jay
25. Field Sparrow
26. Barred Owl†
27. Pileated Woodpecker
28. Black-capped Chickadee
29. Hermit Thrush
30. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (v)
Elsewhere
31. Northern Parula (v)
32. European Starling
33. Herring Gull
Mammals
Eastern Chipmunk
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, barred owl, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, common raven, common yellowthroat, eastern chimpunk, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, European starling, field sparrow, gray catbird, hermit thrush, herring gull, house wren, northern parula, ovenbird, pileated woodpecker, prairie warbler, purple finch, red-eyed vireo, song sparrow, tree swallow, tufted titmouse, veery, yellow warbler, yellow-bellied sapsucker