A lovely morning—clear, with a bit of breeze, still greenery everywhere. Also birds, quite a few species. Among them three woodpecker species.
I do like woodpeckers. Love ’em, actually—their drumming, their unique method of hunting and dining, their calls, their bouncy flight. Today’s species were hairy and downy and red-bellied (in the reverse order). Others I see on the hill are pileated, flicker, and sapsucker. I love ’em all.
Today’s best woodpecker encounter was at the end of our hike, when dog and I stopped to admire the interactions of a little family of Hairy Woodpeckers—a chase, some vocalizations, some excavations.
In my world, a day without woodpeckers is just a little diminished.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7:30 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Black-capped Chickadee
2. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v)
3. Ovenbird (v)
4. Gray Catbird**
5. Eastern Wood-pewee (v)
6. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
7. Tufted Titmouse (v)
8. Red-eyed Vireo
9. Downy Woodpecker (v)
10. Eastern Towhee
11. Common Raven (v)
12. Common Yellowthroat
13. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v)
14. American Goldfinch (v)
15. American Crow* (v)
16. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
17. Yellow-rumped Warbler
18. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
19. Cedar Waxwing
20. Song Sparrow
21. Blue Jay
22. Northern Cardinal**
23. Purple Finch
24. American Robin
25. Ruffed Grouse
26. Hairy Woodpecker
Elsewhere
27. Mourning Dove
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, blue jay, Cedar waxwing, common raven, common yellowthroat, downy woodpecker, eastern gray squirrel, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, gray catbird, hairy woodpecker, mourning dove, northern cardinal, ovenbird, purple finch, red-bellied woodpecker, red-breasted nuthatch, red-eyed vireo, ruby-throated hummingbird, ruffed grouse, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch, yellow-bellied flycatcher, yellow-rumped warbler
