A rather auspicious hike with dog this morning. First, the sun emerged after a couple misty days, which mixed things up a bit. Second, we encountered lesser-seen species like hummingbirds, hawks, osprey. Third, we got closer to a wild raven than we ever have.
It was a young bird, and it was in the field near the trail, eating blueberries for breakfast. I’d been checking a birch across from the raven, where I thought I saw a warbler, when it croaked. Its nearness startled me. Just there, not thirty feet away. I managed to grab a few photos, even a video or two, while it popped blueberries into its mouth, croaking occasionally. Then it flapped up into the bird I’d been scanning and preened for a while.
I count it as something of a blessing.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7:49 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Blue Jay
2. White-breasted Nuthatch
3. Black-capped Chickadee
4. American Crow
5. Red-eyed Vireo
6. Hairy Woodpecker
7. American Goldfinch
8. Eastern Wood-pewee
9. Red-bellied Woodpecker
10. Brown Creeper
11. Eastern Towhee
12. Gray Catbird
13. Cedar Waxwing
14. Purple Finch
15. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
16. Least Flycatcher
17. Black-throated Green Warbler
18. Savannah Sparrow
19. Song Sparrow
20. Cooper’s Hawk
21. Common Raven
22. American Robin
23. Common Yellowthroat
24. Broad-winged Hawk
25. Yellow-rumped Warbler
26. Osprey
27. Red-breasted Nuthatch
28. Hermit Thrush
Elsewhere
29. Mourning Dove
30. Herring Gull
Mammals
Eastern Gray Squirrel
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, broad-winged hawk, brown creeper, Cedar waxwing, common raven, common yellowthroat, cooper's hawk, eastern gray squirrel, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, gray catbird, hairy woodpecker, hermit thrush, herring gull, least flycatcher, mourning dove, osprey, purple finch, red-bellied woodpecker, red-breasted nuthatch, red-eyed vireo, ruby-throated hummingbird, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, white-breasted nuthatch, yellow-rumped warbler
