Alder flycatcher.
About midnight last night, a bunch of birds woke up. I’d gone out for one last check of the night sky when I heard little chips and peeps. Then an ovenbird’s crazy call in the trees out back. And a yellowthroat’s song from across the road. I wondered if perhaps some of the chips came from warblers just arrived and looked forward to a sunny morning hike for a change.
Yellow warbler.
And sunny it was. Maybe, had we not had twenty rainy days in May so far, today wouldn’t have felt so glorious—but, man, did it feel glorious. And the early hill was alive with birds.
Warblers, a pair of cowbirds, nuthatches, thrushes. Catbirds, towhees, two kinds of vireo. A chickadee fledgling shivering with excitement when its parent showed up with more food. Then I heard it: the call of my first alder flycatcher of the year. Just yesterday I’d been worrying about the absence of this common local flycatcher; today they were singing from all over the hill. Along with a number of least flycatchers, a great crested, and phoebes. Watched a raven fly over. Then saw a broad-winged hawk fly over. At the upper fields, a hummingbird buzzed by my ear.
Got decent photos of a yellow warbler. (There must’ve been a dozen up there singing.) All resident sparrows were singing, too—well, except for chippies. Down at the Beech Hill Road parking lot, I was surprised to hear the unmistakable trill of a red-bellied woodpecker, another first-of-year bird. (Which reminds me: still no cuckoos.) Then on our return trip, I saw a red-tail soar by, and a pair of crows rose to escort it away. Spotted a pair of kingbirds perched in a little tree beside the trail (first of year). Heard titmouse, tree swallow, dove.
Just before we arrived back at our starting point, I recognized a new warbler song—a loud collection of chips—coming from a newly blooming apple tree near the sugarbush. I thought I recognized the call but wanted a peek. And got one: a Tennessee warbler (also first of year).
Jack and I spent more than two hours on the hill this morning, during which time I added forty-five species to my daily list.
Tennessee warbler.
Not long after, while working at my desk, I heard the cries of laughing gulls from out my open windows. (First laughing gulls of the year.) And later, while taking a sweet, long bike ride, I added a couple more species.
Finally, about 8:30 p.m., I heard the repeated peent! of a nighthawk flying over my place—my sixth first-of-year bird on what sure felt like a glorious day.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Ovenbird
2. Hairy woodpecker (voice)
3. Common yellowthroat
4. Black-throated green warbler
5. Brown-headed cowbird
6. American robin
7. Black-capped chickadee
8. Chestnut-sided warbler
9. White-breasted nuthatch (voice)
10. Black-and-white warbler
11. Eastern towhee
12. Veery (voice)
13. American redstart (voice)
14. Rose-breasted grosbeak (voice)
15. Red-eyed vireo
16. Gray catbird
17. Northern parula (voice)
18. Blue-headed vireo
19. Alder flycatcher
20. Common raven
21. White-throated sparrow
22. Blue jay
23. Yellow warbler
24. American crow
25. Least flycatcher
26. Northern flicker (voice)
27. Black-throated blue warbler (voice)
28. Great crested flycatcher (voice)
29. American goldfinch (voice)
30. Broad-winged hawk
31. Ruby-throated hummingbird
32. Wild turkey (voice)
33. Song sparrow
34. Herring gull (voice)
35. Savannah sparrow
36. Field sparrow
37. Eastern phoebe (voice)
38. Hermit thrush (voice)
39. Red-bellied woodpecker (voice)
40. Red-tailed hawk
41. Eastern kingbird
42. Tufted titmouse (voice)
43. Tree swallow
44. Mourning dove (voice)
45. Tennessee warbler
Ruby-throated hummingbird.
Elsewhere
46. House finch
47. House sparrow
48. Laughing gull
49. European starling
50. Chipping sparrow
51. Northern cardinal
52. Cedar waxwing
53. Common nighthawk
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated blue warbler, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, blue-headed vireo, broad-winged hawk, brown-headed cowbird, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common nighthawk, common raven, common yellowthroat, eastern kingbird, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, European starling, field sparrow, gray catbird, great crested flycatcher, hairy woodpecker, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, laughing gull, least flycatcher, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern flicker, northern parula, ovenbird, red-bellied woodpecker, red-eyed vireo, red-tailed hawk, rose-breasted grosbeak, ruby-throated hummingbird, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, Tennessee warbler, tree swallow, tufted titmouse, veery, white-breasted nuthatch, white-throated sparrow, wild turkey, yellow warbler
