Common raven.
Yet another cloudless day. From morning until night. No clouds in the sky whatsoever. I guess you’d call this a high-pressure system.
House sparrows.
On a little excursion outside this morning, with the bright sun warming the south sides of things, I heard the neighborhood crows, a chickadee out back, a titmouse singing its spring love song, and house sparrows flitting about in the awnings of the motel across the road. I even caught sight of the sparrows—a pair in a bush.
On a drive to town in early afternoon, I spotted the usual herring gulls and ring-billed gulls and rock pigeons perched on the high southern roof of the old Van Baalen’s building in town. Later, as Jack and I drove out Route 17 past Chickawaukie, the usual few dozen mallards sat like lumps on the snowy bank of the outfall.
The Beech Hill parking lot was empty when Jack and I pulled in. The trail seemed icier today—just a tad treacherous—but we barged up anyway.
Coming up along the road, I saw a small bird flit silently off across to the other side. A hairy woodpecker. We stood there a while so I could snap off some rather distant photos of it pecking around in some soft spots of a tree.
Hairy woodpecker.
On up the hill the breeze grew stronger, as it usually does, but it wasn’t quite the chilling wind of yesterday. As we ascended the steep part of the trail, I noticed a big black bird rise silently from the open field toward Beech Nut. A raven. I watched it fly off toward the northwest, where I imagine the resident ravens live. We continued on. Then, a couple dozen yards later, I saw another raven rise from the same spot. The nesting Beech Hill pair?
Coming around the final turn, I scanned the eastern horizon for clouds, but there were none. Just a bluish haze hovering over the islands. Beech Nut sat stony and immobile on the summit. The track up there was icy.
We didn’t linger, turned back right away, breathing heavily and deeply of the winter air. But for some reason, suddenly, I stopped dead to listen: no sound at all but the gentle rush of cold wind against my ears. A hilltop silence, sweet and timeless. We stood there like that, dog and I, for a full minute, if not more.
Later, nearing the parking lot, I heard the voice of a hairy woodpecker—then saw the bird. The same bird I’d seen ascending, doubtless. I watched it for a moment pecking around in some soft spots.
Birch.
When we arrived back home, I happened to hear a house finch calling from across the road. And tonight has a sky full of stars. I hear conditions might be ripe for northern lights, even. I’ll look for them after a while.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 3:15 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Hairy woodpecker
2. Common raven
Elsewhere
3. American crow
4. Black-capped chickadee
5. Tufted titmouse
6. Herring gull
7. Ring-billed gull
8. Rock pigeon
9. Mallard
10. House finch
Tags: American crow, black-capped chickadee, common raven, hairy woodpecker, herring gull, house finch, mallard, ring-billed gull, rock pigeon, tufted titmouse
