Ovenbird.
It’s been the rainiest spring I can remember here on the 44th parallel, 69th line. Woke up early, peeked out the blinds, saw wetness everywhere, and so rolled over and went back to sleep. Got up eventually, had breakfast, took dog out for a pee (house finch, crow, gull), then got to work.
Yellow-rumped warbler.
It was late in the day before we ventured out, Jack and I. Took a spin through town and saw a mourning dove fly over. Saw a pair of starlings fly over. Saw rock pigeons fly over. In the rain.
Got to Beech Hill at exactly 5 p.m. A crow was waiting for us at the entrance to the Rockville Street parking lot—at least there’d be one bird to count today. But I also heard ovenbirds calling above the sound of the rain and wind. Because it was also windy. A pretty stout north-ish wind, in fact. The rain fell lightly but steadily.
Took a little while before I heard another bird call—the note of a towhee. Then, about half-way up, I heard the tseet! of a white-throat near the trail. Then another. Little green leaves are busting out all over the place. The green and gray looked kind of nice together.
Wetness everywhere.
In fact, the rain had seemed to pick up some. I couldn’t hear much of anything above the spattering sound it made on last fall’s leaves and the rush of the wind. Did hear the chip of a yellow-rump. Then the call of a yellowthroat. Rounding one turn, I finally saw a little bird fly up into a low perch, and we stopped. It was an ovenbird, orange crest raised, not far ahead of us. Pretty hard to get a decent photo in such conditions.
Sprig.
At the fields below the summit, I heard the voice of a song sparrow. A couple ‘rumps were flitting about up there, too. And then I caught the wind-blown song of a catbird.
And that was just about it. Oh, I thought I heard gulls at one point, but amid all the ambient sound, I couldn’t be sure. Also thought I heard a Nashville warbler, but it could’ve been a yellow-rump’s song. Kind of thought I heard a robin—not positive. Was that a thrush? I couldn’t say. Fact is, I must’ve cocked my head a half-dozen times in an attempt to confirm another species, but I failed on most counts altogether.
As we reached the summit, the rain had grown more steady. Add to that the dearth of birds and surprisingly thick swarms of black flies, and you could fairly describe today’s hike as rather miserable.
But returning along the upper fields, we did stumble into a good-sized flock of flitting ‘rumps. Maybe a dozen or a score of them, dashing from tree to tree. We stopped in the rain three or four times as I worked to grab a photo or two. (Hard to do in the rain, with black flies landing on your eyelids, and light so dim most shots were just a blur.)
Yellow-rumped warbler.
Spotted a couple yellowthroats for a mere instant. Nothing much else before we entered the lower wooded trail—and nothing at all down there. Except rain. Rain drenched my camera and dripped off the brim of my hat. Jack was soaked. We must’ve navigated the trail in record time.
Back toward the parking lot, I did see a phoebe, at least. And while toweling Jack down, I heard the cyclic song of a black-and-white warbler.
And that was that. Even tonight, light rain continues—along with a not-so-light north wind. And somewhere above it all I’ve still got a chorus of spring peepers.
It’s been the rainiest spring I can remember. And yet central Texas (where I grew up) hasn’t had a good soaking shower for many months.
Funny how things work out sometimes.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 5 p.m., I hiked the wooded trails.
1. American crow
2. Ovenbird
3. Eastern towhee (voice)
4. White-throated sparrow
5. Yellow-rumped warbler
6. Common yellowthroat
7. Black-capped chickadee (voice)
8. Song sparrow (voice)
9. Gray catbird (voice)
10. Eastern phoebe
11. Black-and-white warbler (voice)
Elsewhere
12. House finch
13. Herring gull
14. Mourning dove
15. European starling
16. Rock pigeon
Tags: American crow, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, European starling, gray catbird, herring gull, house finch, mourning dove, ovenbird, rock pigeon, song sparrow, white-throated sparrow, yellow-rumped warbler
