Cedar waxwing.
Warm, cloudless morning. Not a lot of breeze at first. Out singing were house finches and house sparrows and redstarts, titmice, cardinals. I hit the desk and buckled down.
Cedar waxwing.
Took until late in the day to reach a stopping point, but I finally got on the bicycle. By then—late afternoon—a breeze had risen. Still warm, but cooler than at midday. Plenty of birds singing: titmice, song sparrows, chipping sparrows, redstarts. Gulls overhead. Didn’t wait long afterward to set off for Beech Hill with dog.
We had some errands to run first and didn’t head out Route 17 until well past 6. The black-backed gull was sitting on the Chickawaukie Lake float again. Nor cormorants, but a nice-sized flock of mallards on the pond.
Vireos and deerflies at the hill. Many vireos. Many, many deerflies. Not a lot of birdsong at that hour—and fewer bird sightings—but still fairly active. Towhees, goldfinches, a few warblers, waxwings, crows. Heard a hairy woodpecker chattering up toward the summit, but I didn’t get a decent bird sighting until a pair of waxwings appeared in the crowns of some low trees. Went to focus—and my viewfinder was black. Huh? Tried restarting the camera. Tried hitting a bunch of buttons, resetting some settings. No dice. I do have a little flip-out display, but I’m not really a fan. However, that’s what I had to use to take waxwing photos.
I’ll look, with hope, at fixing the camera tomorrow.
Mushrooms.
Returning via the lower wooded trail, about half way down, Jack and I were startled by a sudden crashing flurry above us. A small flock of turkeys—one large adult and several of this years birds—had roosted about fifty feet up an oak tree, but our approach must’ve spooked them, because they flew off. Loudly. Flight must be something of a challenge, if you’re a turkey.
Not a lot else to report. Cooler this evening. Still a cloudless sky. And tomorrow is supposed to be another bright, clear day.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:45 p.m., I hiked the wooded trails.
1. Red-eyed vireo (voice)
2. Eastern towhee
3. Chestnut-sided warbler (voice)
4. Mourning dove (voice)
5. American goldfinch (voice)
6. Gray catbird (voice)
7. Veery (voice)
8. Cedar waxwing
9. American crow (voice)
10. Black-capped chickadee
11. Song sparrow (voice)
12. Hairy woodpecker (voice)
13. Common yellowthroat
14. Alder flycatcher
15. Eastern wood-pewee (voice)
16. Wild turkey
Elsewhere
17. House finch
18. House sparrow
19. Tufted titmouse
20. Northern cardinal
21. Herring gull
22. American redstart
23. Chipping sparrow
24. Great black-backed gull
25. Mallard
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, black-capped chickadee, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, gray catbird, great black-backed gull, hairy woodpecker, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, mallard, mourning dove, northern cardinal, red-eyed vireo, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, veery, wild turkey
