Northern cardinal.
A foggy kind of morning, but Jack and I got up early anyway. Spotted a cardinal on our way out, and heard a house finch, a redstart, and an ovenbird.
Veery.
We were the only ones at the hill today, apparently—other than chipmunks, red squirrels, and many birds. In particular, assorted warblers, sparrows, and flycatchers. Just standing beside the sugarbush, I counted a dozen species singing, although I only caught sight of three (robin, phoebe, red-eyed vireo). The fog was especially thick, the trees especially drippy.
Coming around the first curve, I spied a calling veery, and we tried to sneak up on it. Got oh-so-close to a dynamite photo, but the bird would not oblige. Same with a chestnut-sided warbler, a redstart, and a white-throated sparrow. Birds kept popping up right there—but I was too slow on the draw. Oh, well.
More alder flycatchers, which was nice—but the most vocal species up there today seemed to be the American redstart. All over the place they were singing their telltale five-note call.
Similarly vocal were six resident sparrow species: towhee, white-throat, song, field, savannah, and chippy. (There might also be some nesting swamp sparrows around, but I didn’t hear any.) Also noticed the now-familiar little dee-dee! of a hummingbird here and there along the trails but didn’t actually see any. Later I heard—off in the fog—the crazy, human-sounding voice of a raven.
Common yellowthroat.
Down at the far parking lot, a couple warblers did finally pose for half-way decent photos.
If there were hawks today, I didn’t see ’em. Fact is, I couldn’t have seen any bird flying more than about thirty feet away. The fog even rendered Beech Nut invisible unless you walked right up to it.
Coming back down the lower wooded trail, I heard more ovenbirds, parulas, vireos, and black-throated greens. Then I caught a hint of something, and we stopped. It sang twice more. Sweet and unmistakable: a first-of-year wood-pewee. And finally, near the brook, a northern cardinal sang.
Elsewhere today I didn’t see much—though I did hear laughing gulls fly over. The fog persisted all day here at the shore.
And now, tonight, it’s lightly raining as both foghorns moan.
Apple blossoms.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:45 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. American redstart
2. Ovenbird (voice)
3. Hairy woodpecker (voice)
4. Common yellowthroat
5. Black-throated green warbler (voice)
6. Chestnut-sided warbler
7. Red-eyed vireo
8. American robin
9. Eastern phoebe
10. Herring gull (voice)
11. Eastern towhee
12. Veery
13. White-breasted nuthatch (voice)
14. Gray catbird
15. White-throated sparrow
16. American goldfinch (voice)
17. American crow (voice)
18. Blue jay (voice)
19. Black-and-white warbler
20. Alder flycatcher (voice)
21. Yellow warbler
22. Black-capped chickadee
23. Great crested flycatcher (voice)
24. Song sparrow
25. Savannah sparrow
26. Field sparrow
27. Ruby-throated hummingbird (voice)
28. Tufted titmouse (voice)
29. Northern parula (voice)
30. Hermit thrush (voice)
31. Chipping sparrow (voice)
32. Brown-headed cowbird (voice)
33. Common raven (voice)
34. Northern cardinal (voice)
Elsewhere
35. House finch
36. Mourning dove
37. European starling
38. Laughing gull
Tags: alder flycatcher, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, brown-headed cowbird, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common raven, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, European starling, field sparrow, gray catbird, great crested flycatcher, hairy woodpecker, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, laughing gull, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern parula, ovenbird, red-eyed vireo, ruby-throated hummingbird, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, veery, white-breasted nuthatch, white-throated sparrow, yellow warbler
