This morning dog and I hiked a calm, cool quiet, early autumn trail. Migration was going on—many yellow-rumps, a kinglet, White-throated Sparrows—but after four sweet days on an island, it felt mostly like being back amid close family.
Best family photo? A close-up of a resident chickadee.
[On our morning hike, I dropped my Garmin device. Didn’t notice till we got back to the truck. So in afternoon, I went back without Jack—and, by golly, someone had found it and left it on a bench at the hut. Added a raven.]
Beech Hill List
Starting at 8:03 a.m. EST (9:03 DST) and again at 1:09 (2:09), I hiked all trails.
1. American Goldfinch (v)
2. White-throated Sparrow
3. Black-capped Chickadee**
4. Hermit Thrush
5. Yellow-rumped Warbler
6. Hairy Woodpecker
7. Ruby-crowned Kinglet (v)
8. American Crow*
9. Gray Catbird
10. Eastern Towhee (v)
11. Blue Jay** (v)
12. Song Sparrow
13. Eastern Bluebird
14. Tufted Titmouse (v)
15. White-breasted Nuthatch** (v)
16. Common Raven
Elsewhere
17. Mallard
18. Northern Cardinal (v)
19. Herring Gull
20. House Sparrow (v)
Reptiles
Garter Snake
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, common raven, eastern bluebird, eastern towhee, garter snake, gray catbird, hairy woodpecker, hermit thrush, herring gull, house sparrow, mallard, northern cardinal, ruby-crowned kinglet, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch, white-throated sparrow, yellow-rumped warbler
