New moon.
Had a bunch of work-related stuff to take care of this morning, so I postponed my Beech Hill hike with dog until later in the day. Things started chilly, with temperatures in the 40s (F), but the air was still, the sun bright, the prospects hopeful.
Yellow-rumped warbler.
By mid-afternoon, I’d gotten enough done that I figured I’d head out on my bicycle for a while. Bright sun, still. Very little wind. The ride was a lovely one—which passed gulls, crows, pigeons, and starlings.
Finally, at 4:30, we pulled into the Beech Hill Road parking lot.
So still and warm—and yet autumnal. By donning a hooded sweatshirt, I’d overdressed. Right away, I heard chickadees and a jay. Very soon after, I heard the first of perhaps three or four dozen yell0w-rumps. They flitted about the branches of the little trailside birches. They chased around the boughs of the spruces at the summit. Every now and then, I’d look up to see a solitary bird flying gamely away toward the south.
Crows called from the distance. [Which reminds me: at the office today, a gang of crows were loudly harrassing a hawk or owl, but I never caught site of the object of their attentions.] I saw and/or heard white-throated sparrow, northern flicker, and song sparrow. I admired fall foliage just catching afire, and considered the islands in the bay spread spectacularly below. A group of people at Beech Nut were laughing, were talking loudly, which didn’t seem to bother the ‘rumps.
Returning, I felt warm and peaceful. The leaves of trees were, exactly now, changing color. The ‘rumps were, exactly now, headed more or less south.
In the southern blue sky hung a fairly new moon.
Yellow-rumped warbler.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 4:30 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Black-capped chickadee
2. Blue jay (voice)
3. Yellow-rumped warbler
4. American crow
5. White-throated sparrow
6. Northern flicker (voice)
7. Song sparrow (voice)
8. White-breasted nuthatch (voice)
Elsewhere
9. Herring gull
10. Rock pigeon
11. House sparrow
12. European starling
Landscape.
Tags: American crow, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, European starling, herring gull, house sparrow, northern flicker, rock pigeon, song sparrow, white-breasted nuthatch, white-throated sparrow, yellow-rumped warbler
