Chestnut-sided warbler (juvenile).
Ahhh, an overcast morning that seemed positively cool compared to probably the last week’s worth of mornings. A light breeze rustling the leaves of the poplar along the upper wooded Beech Hill trail when we arrived. Deer flies still, but not too bad.
Black-capped chickadee.
For the first couple hundred yards, the only birds I could sense at all were a pair of red-eyed vireos, singing from the hardwood canopy. Finally I began to hear the voices of the other common species—towhee, chestnut-sided, yellowthroat, catbird, goldfinch, waxwing. Many more alder flycatchers singing than just a week ago. (In fact, I can finally identify the soft but urgent pip! of an alder fly around its nest. Confirmed it twice today.) Also phoebes and, on the lower wooded trail, eastern wood-pewees.
All five sparrows again, too—including a white-throat with a crazy, wayward song that dipped and sped up and trailed off at the end.
For the third straight day, though, no ovenbirds.
Eastern towhee.
But the day was most noteworthy for its youngsters. Early on, we came upon a little chestnut-sided warbler family, with fledglings begging for food from adults more concerned about an approaching dog and man. Soon after, a noisy troop of chickadees. And coming down the open trail, two or three kinds of sparrow families were hopping along ahead of us. Also robins. And mourning doves.
The catbird near the Beech Hill Road parking area remains loud and belligerent. Young ‘uns there somewhere, doubtless, that need watching out for. A sudden eruption of black-throated green and black-and-white warblers took me by surprise.
Then on our return trip to the summit, a juvenile towhee sat looking for the world like a large rust-colored sparrow—now and then opening its mouth very, very wide.
Eastern towhee (juvenile).
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:45 a.m., I walked all trails.
1. Red-eyed vireo
2. Chestnut-sided warbler
3. Black-capped chickadee
4. Eastern towhee
5. American goldfinch
6. Common yellowthroat
7. Gray catbird
8. American crow (voice)
9. White-throated sparrow (voice)
10. American robin
11. Cedar waxwing
12. Veery (voice)
13. Alder flycatcher
14. Song sparrow
15. Field sparrow (voice)
16. Northern flicker
17. Eastern phoebe
18. Savannah sparrow
19. Hermit thrush (voice)
20. Yellow warbler (voice)
21. Chipping sparrow (voice)
22. Black-throated green warbler (voice)
23. Black-and-white warbler (voice)
24. Mourning dove
25. Eastern wood-pewee (voice)
26. White-breasted nuthatch (voice)
Elsewhere
27. Herring gull
29. House sparrow
Looking east from Beech Hill.
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, field sparrow, gray catbird, hermit thrush, herring gull, house sparrow, mourning dove, northern flicker, red-eyed vireo, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, veery, white-breasted nuthatch, white-throated sparrow, yellow warbler
