American red squirrel.
Awake early. It looked bright enough and seemed dry. Dog and I headed out—and into a stout, strong northwest wind.
Black-throated green warbler.
It was blowing like crazy at the Rockville Street parking lot. Still I heard four bird calls right off the bat: black-throated green, ovenbird, chickadee, and wild turkey. Before we’d gone many paces: phoebe, nuthatch, blue-headed vireo, towhee. But those were near birds. I couldn’t hear much at a distance, what with all the rushing, rocking trees.
But I managed to make out the songs (and/or sights) of a number of the usual species as we ascended. Plenty of warblers, but no grosbeak today. Heard a little flock of white-throats scratching in the trailside leaves.
At the upper fields, a lone kestrel perched atop its customary tree. A pair of tree swallows made it twenty species by the time we reached the summit. They seemed to bound joyfully through the billowing air.
Not a little warbler wave, regardless. Many black-throated greens, it seemed, along with more chestnut-sideds than yesterday and plenty of black-and-whites. Coming down the open trail, I saw a turkey vulture soaring low and a lone gull winging by. I couldn’t hear much except the wind in my ears—until we got near the base of the hill, when I barely made out the song of a field sparrow and the cries of a flicker.
American robin.
A pair of robins like the little blueberry patch nearest the road, apparently. More white-throats scratching about down there, and I watched a singing cowbird light on the tip-top of one of the roadside spruces.
Titmouse, chippy, mourning dove, goldfinch.
On our return, I heard the song of a Nashville warbler. And descending toward the woods again, I saw a crow sitting on the next tree over from the kestrel.
And that was it. Otherwise: a house sparrow back at the house, a few starlings and pigeons in town.
In evening, rain began to spatter down. And tonight, the wind still howls—but not loud enough to muffle the chorus of peepers in the wet spot up the hill.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Black-throated green warbler
2. Ovenbird (voice)
3. Black-capped chickadee
4. Wild turkey (voice)
5. Eastern phoebe
6. White-breasted nuthatch (voice)
7. Blue-headed vireo (voice)
8. Eastern towhee
9. Chestnut-sided warbler
10. Black-and-white warbler
11. Yellow-rumped warbler
12. Gray catbird
13. Blue jay (voice)
14. White-throated sparrow
15. Hairy woodpecker (voice)
16. Northern cardinal (voice)
17. Common yell0wthroat
18. Song sparrow
19. American kestrel
20. Tree swallow
21. Savannah sparrow (voice)
22. Turkey vulture
23. Herring gull
24. Field sparrow (voice)
25. Northern flicker (voice)
26. American robin
27. Tufted titmouse (voice)
28. Chipping sparrow (voice)
29. Brown-headed cowbird
30. Mourning dove (voice)
31. American goldfinch
32. Nashville warbler (voice)
33. American crow
Elsewhere
35. House sparrow
36. European starling
37. Rock pigeon
Black-and-white warbler.
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American kestrel, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, blue-headed vireo, brown-headed cowbird, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, European starling, field sparrow, gray catbird, hairy woodpecker, herring gull, house sparrow, mourning dove, Nashville warbler, northern cardinal, northern flicker, ovenbird, rock pigeon, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tree swallow, tufted titmouse, turkey vulture, white-breasted nuthatch, white-throated sparrow, wild turkey, yellow-rumped warbler
