American redstart.
As the last dream fell away, the early light was bright, and so I took my dog to Beech Hill first thing. No other cars in the lot. Despite the brilliant sunlight, the air was cool enough for long sleeves.
Mourning dove.
First bird was a vireo, and then mostly warblers around the trailhead. The usual other resident birds coming up the hill—catbird, goldfinch. towhee, alder flycatcher. As we rounded one turn in the trail, I spotted a first-year male redstart singing in some low trees and we stopped so I could try for photos. After we’d been stopped for a minute or two, while I was wielding my camera, a flicker called loudly from very close behind us, but I didn’t even turn around.
Broad-wings were out today. On hearing the first thin whistle, I looked up through the canopy and saw the hawk circling. Later, returning up the open trail, I heard the call again and caught sight of a pair of broad-wings, flying off toward the north.
Catbird, mourning dove, jay. Heard field sparrows and song sparrows and chippies, but I haven’t listed a white-throated in a while. No doubt there are many on the hill—they’re just hunkered down right about now, hatching eggs.
Phoebe at the summit. A solitary savannah sparrow sitting on the sod roof of Beech Nut. At the far parking lot, a mourning dove and a redstart and catbirds and a brown-headed cowbird.
Gray catbird.
As we returned down through the woods, I heard—in fairly quick succession—the voices of a parula, a pewee, and a black-throated green. Then, suddenly, a call came from an oak above the trail, and we stopped. A pair of hairy woodpeckers were engaging in some kind of crazy dance, poking their beaks straight up, then dipping, then pointing up again. A mating display? A territorial challenge? (I couldn’t tell gender.)
In the distance, I heard the screams of an osprey. And, finally, amid the insistent crys of crows, the croak of a common raven.
Things warmed nicely at midday, when I decided to go for a nice long bike ride. En route, I heard a number of additional species—Nashville warbler, veery, titmouse. Then, back home, I confirmed that both the nuthatch and phoebe nests are being actively maintained.
Tonight things grew cool again. Shiveringly so. Supposed to be another sunny-but-cool day tomorrow.
Birch.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7:45 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Red-eyed vireo (voice)
2. Chestnut-sided warbler
3. Ovenbird (voice)
4. Common yellowthroat
5. American redstart
6. Gray catbird
7. American goldfinch
8. Eastern towhee (voice)
9. Alder flycatcher
10. Black-and-white warbler (voice)
11. Black-capped chickadee (voice)
12. American crow (voice)
13. Northern flicker (voice)
14. Broad-winged hawk
15. Song sparrow
16. Tree swallow (voice)
17. Mourning dove
18. Yellow warbler
19. Eastern phoebe
20. Field sparrow
21. American robin
22. Blue jay
23. Chipping sparrow
24. Brown-headed cowbird (voice)
25. Savannah sparrow
26. Hermit thrush (voice)
27. Northern parula (voice)
28. Eastern wood-pewee (voice)
29. Black-throated green warbler (voice)
30. Hairy woodpecker
31. Osprey (voice)
32. Common raven (voice)
Elsewhere
33. House finch
34. House sparrow
35. Northern cardinal
36. European starling
37. Laughing gull
38. Nashville warbler
39. Veery
40. Tufted titmouse
41. Canada goose
42. White-breasted nuthatch
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, broad-winged hawk, brown-headed cowbird, Canada goose, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common raven, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, European starling, field sparrow, gray catbird, hairy woodpecker, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, laughing gull, mourning dove, Nashville warbler, northern cardinal, northern flicker, northern parula, ovenbird, red-eyed vireo, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tree swallow, tufted titmouse, veery, white-breasted nuthatch, yellow warbler
