Common yellowthroat.
The temperature hung in the upper-70s (F) all night, I bet. Dog arrived in the muggy air under overcast skies at about 7 a.m. Right away, the deer flies began to swarm. I felt a little like a mouldering corpse must feel if a corpse could hear all those flies buzzing non-stop about its ears. Mosquitos were out, too. A very buggy day on the wooded trail.
Remnants.
But also birdy. They go hand-in-hand. The usual species (cuckoos are becoming regulars), a little heavier on thrushes and sparrows. At one point along the upper wooded trail—a point typically frequented by chestnut-sided warblers and catbirds and chickadees—we came upon the mortal coil of a songbird lying strewn right in the middle of the well-trodden path. Some owl or hawk or terrestrial critter had cleaned up the good parts, leaving just the feathers. Couldn’t really tell, but I have a feeling it might’ve been a chickadee.
Mourning dove on Beech Nut.
Savannah sparrow on Beech Nut.
Some breeze up top. I got a photo of a mourning dove on the chimney of Beech Nut. Then I got a photo of a savannah sparrow up there. I heard chipping sparrows in the spruces at the summit and the big tree down by the gate at Beech Hill Road. At least two cuckoos were calling.
Eastern towhee.
Haven’t seen any tree swallows for a good while. No doubt their young have fledged and flown. I keep expecting savannah sparrows to be next—they’ve been acting antsy and are moving around—but I guess they’re wanting to raise their broods on the grassy hillside as opposed to the wild, crazy air above them, as the swallows do.
I picked up the plastic wrapper off a pack of gum. I used a stick to clear a large pile of dog poop out of the middle of the lower wooded trail—where I noted evidence of yet another mountain biker. Oh, and a lady was up there early filling a bucket with blueberries.
About an hour and a half later, just as we were arriving back at the parking, the sun emerged. Cicadas were easing into their long, lazy, buzzy calls. You could tell this day was gonna be a scorchah. And as I walked in at 8:30 and glanced at my weather station, it was recording the outside air temperature as 80 degrees.
In afternoon I cycled around a bit and saw a good flock of Canada geese up by Lily Pond. Blackbirds were singing up there, too. Worked up a good sweat, too. I’m a fan of evaporative cooling.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7 a.m., I walked all trails.
1. Ovenbird (voice)
2. Red-eyed vireo (voice)
3. Chestnut-sided warbler
4. American crow (voice)
5. Veery
6. Common yellowthroat
7. American goldfinch
8. Eastern towhee
9. Cedar waxwing
10. American redstart
11. Gray catbird
12. Northern flicker
13. Black-capped chickadee
14. American robin
15. Yellow warbler (voice)
16. Black-and-white warbler
17. Blue jay (voice)
18. Mourning dove
19. Wood thrush (voice)
20. Field sparrow (voice)
21. Savannah sparrow
22. Song sparrow
23. White-throated sparrow (voice)
24. Chipping sparrow (voice)
25. Black-billed cuckoo (voice)
26. Tufted titmouse (voice)
27. Eastern phoebe (voice)
28. Hermit thrush (voice)
Elsewhere
29. Herring gull
30. House sparrow
31. Northern cardinal
32. Canada goose
33. Red-winged blackbird
Morning.
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-billed cuckoo, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, Canada goose, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, field sparrow, gray catbird, hermit thrush, herring gull, house sparrow, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern flicker, ovenbird, red-eyed vireo, red-winged blackbird, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, veery, white-throated sparrow, wood thrush, yellow warbler
