Beech Hill birches.
Another sunny morning. And cold. While making breakfast I watched crows flap back and forth across Route 1 with large hunks of something white in their beaks. Bread that someone put out? Donuts? Who knows.
Cloud overeech Nut.
Took Jack out and heard the resident house sparrows (definitely house sparrows this morning). Some time later, a titmouse sang its spring love song, long and loudly, from the oaks out back.
Took a quick spin to town in afternoon and spotted herring gulls, rock pigeons, and ring-billed gulls—the usual in-town birds.
Hit Beech Hill a little early thereafter—shortly after 3 p.m. Alone in the parking lot. Was pretty breezy even amid the little protective copse of trees. I was glad I thought to bring a scarf.
And, man, did I need it: the higher we climbed onto the open hillside, the stronger the wind came—from more-or-less the back of us on our way up, Jack and me. No sign of any birds. Just lots of white snow, blue sky with a few spare clouds in it, and a clear far view of the bay. I noticed the tracks of snowshoe hares—and human snowshoe tracks off the trail, dog poop on the trail itself, and clear signs of off-leash dogs. Three rules violations I try not to judge but can’t help wondering about. I mean, there can only be three possibilities: 1) ignorance of the rules, 2) disagreement with the rules, 3) blatant disregard of the rules. It seems every off-leash dog owner I accost and tell “Your dog really should be on a leash” replies without hesitation, “I know.” What’s that mean, anyway?
Shadows.
But never mind. A gorgeous, frigid winter day. And dog and I were happy for it.
At the summit, I gazed off over the blue bay and spotted a single white moving speck: through binoculars I identified it as a herring gull, flapping lazily off toward Rockland Harbor.
But we didn’t stay up there long. We turned right around and headed back down. Into the wind. I lifted my hood and pulled on my gloves and still felt cold. So I brought up my scarf and twisted it around my face. Brr.
No other birds on the hill today. Just white snow, blue sky, a lingering sun, and a stout winter wind. And a lot of gratitude it all.
Addendum:
Late tonight I heard mallards quacking up a storm over in the mudflats of Clam Cove.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 3:15 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Herring gull
Elsewhere
2. American crow
3. House sparrow
4. Tufted titmouse
5. Rock pigeon
6. Ring-billed gull
7. Mallard
The open trail.
Tags: American crow, herring gull, house sparrow, ring-billed gull, rock pigeon, tufted titmouse
