Meadow vole.
Overcast morning, precip on the way. Crows angling about in the oaks. Then, about an hour into the day, I heard the insistent cawing of crows, looked through the blinds, and saw several of the black flappers chasing after what I have to think was a red-tailed hawk. They sailed away over the building.
Birch.
Spent the day tied to my desk for the most part. Which was fine—until I realized Jack and I would have to hustle to get our Beech Hill hike in. By that time, a moderate wet snow was falling, but never mind that. We took off in a hurry.
Got to the hill at 4. No cars in the lot (not surprisingly). The trail didn’t seem to require snowshoes, so I left them in the truck. We headed out into the snow.
Walked swiftly. Snow in our faces going up, so I kept my head down, pretty much, listening. No bird calls—just the sound of a whip of wind and the crunch of footfalls on the trail. My eyes followed Jack’s rear legs as he led the way. We got into a rhythm, kept moving.
When I did look up, I saw that the snow created the same kind of scene as when fog descends: dim, diffuse, rough around the edges. As we neared Beech Nut, I caught sight of something small and dark moving along the eastern yard. A rodent. A meadow vole. Whipped out my camera and snapped off some blurry photos (blurry, thanks to the dim light and swiftness of the vole). Then Jack caught sight of it, too, and began to pull me along.
Flag.
We got very near before the vole realized we were there and began to look for little grass clusters to dig down in. Dog lunged, the vole dug down. I let Jack nose in, heard high-pitched squeaking, and Jack suddenly backed out, hacking. I wonder if voles spray or give off some kind of noxiousness. Didn’t see the little rodent again.
Came back down swiftly also, but with the snow at our backs. A good, quick walk. Finally, nearing the parking lot, we met little Lucy and her “dad” just starting up the trail. Jack and Lucy are more-or-less friends by now.
Too dim to check for other birds on a quick trip to the post office. Thus, my list today numbers two: crow and hawk.
Of course, that doesn’t count the vole. (Good thing for the vole I saw no owls.)
Tonight the snow has turned to a drizzly rain. I hear a fog horn out in the harbor.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 4 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
No birds seen or heard on the hill today.
Elsewhere
1. American crow
2. Red-tailed hawk
Beech Nut.
Tags: American crow, red-tailed hawk
