I don’t sat about woodpeckers, but I should. Our Maine patch, dog and I, has many species, and they’re a unique enough bird niche that I like ’em a lot. We’ve got the big ol’ fancy Pileated Woodpecker, the Northern Flicker (eastern race), the similar Hairies and Downies, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Plenty to get excited about.
Today I spied (or heard) four species. Other days I’ve had six—or none. They have (vastly or subtly) different calls, different drumming habits, slightly different habitats. IDs can be tricky without visual (or, in the case of downies and hairies, even with a visual).
I like the challenge. I love the drumming. Essentially, I’m infatuated with woodpeckers.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7:12 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo** (v)
2. Black-throated Green Warbler (v)
3. Common Yellowthroat
4. Ovenbird** (v)
5. American Goldfinch**
6. Blue Jay
7. Tufted Titmouse (v)
8. American Robin
9. Downy Woodpecker (v)
10. Black-capped Chickadee
11. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
12. Eastern Towhee
13. Chestnut-sided Warbler (v)
14. American Redstart (v)
15. Brown Creeper (v)
16. Eastern Wood-pewee
17. Hermit Thrush
18. Northern Flicker
19. Gray Catbird
20. Alder Flycatcher (v)
21. Field Sparrow
22. Cedar Waxwing
23. Song Sparrow**
24. Yellow Warbler
25. Eastern Phoebe
26. Purple Finch (v)
27. Savannah Sparrow
28. Prairie Warbler (v)
29. Black-billed Cuckoo (v)
30. Pileated Woodpecker (v)
31. House Wren
32. Common Raven (v)
33. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v)
34. Chipping Sparrow
35. Yellow-bellied sapsucker (v)
36. Veery (v)
Elsewhere
37. Northern Cardinal (v)
38. Mourning Dove
39. Herring Gull
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year
Tags: alder flycatcher, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-billed cuckoo, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, brown creeper, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common raven, common yellowthroat, downy woodpecker, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, field sparrow, gray catbird, hermit thrush, herring gull, house wren, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern flicker, ovenbird, pileated woodpecker, prairie warbler, purple finch, red-breasted nuthatch, red-eyed vireo, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, veery, white-breasted nuthatch, yellow warbler, yellow-bellied sapsucker
