Shadow.
It’s a calm, cool night. Sirius is rising, chasing Orion and twinkling brightly, alternating blue and red. Snow from the big storm still covers nearly everything.
Beech Nut.
This morning dawned sunny—but with high, interesting clouds. I had desk work, and Jack had some napping to do. Crows flapped back and forth across Route 1, and I heard the resident house sparrow family chirping from somewhere nearby.
It took us until kind of late in the day to venture out. Beech Hill called.
No cars in yet-unplowed parking lot, but a couple vehicles were parked up by the gate. Jack seemed recovered enough for a hike over relatively hard snow. Right away we saw that several people—many people, old and young (mostly young)—were gathered about half-way up the slope, some with plastic sleds, the younger ones. A few had ventured off trail, but I didn’t say anything. There was a little Jack Russell terrier there, too, in a woman’s arms. Jack didn’t even see the little dog.
We continued up. Not too cold, not too windy. Bright sunlight casting long blue shadows against the hard, wind-sculpted snow.
Jack on the trail.
I thought I might see a hawk for the third straight day, but probably not with all those people up there. Instead, I snowshoed up to Beech Nut with Jack tugging gamely at the leash. A few smooth-edged clouds hung over the bay.
Returning, we found the big sled-toting family had gone. A small group was hiking up. As we approached the wooded section near the road, I thought I heard something and so we stopped to listen. The distant call of a chickadee—and something else. The note of a robin come from high in the trees. There, the bird flew. I watched it light again in a treetop beyond the parking lot. Then I heard the voice of a brown creeper.
Setting sun.
Back at the parking lot, as the bronze-colored sun got close to setting behind the trunks of trees, I hard a kinglet’s call.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 3 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Black-capped chickadee (voice)
2. American robin
3. Brown creper (voice)
4. Golden-crowned kinglet (voice)
Elsewhere
5. American crow
6. House sparrow
7. Herring gull
8. Ring-billed gull
Oak.
Tags: American crow, American robin, black-capped chickadee, brown creeper, golden-crowned kinglet, herring gull, house sparrow, ring-billed gull
