Two islands.
The day dawned bright. A little steamy. A few birds calling: house sparrow, robin, goldfinch, crow. Busy Route 1 traffic—but otherwise, time seemed somehow suspended. A day much like yesterday. The oaks and maples as leafy as yesterday. Crickets singing, just the same.
Jack on the trail.
Plenty of desk work, although the crows in particular offered some distraction. They hang around in groups at this time of year. Families, I presume, or near neighbors. I didn’t hear them hollering at any hawks, though. Just another social summer day for the crows. In afternoon, they stalked the roadsides as I cycled past. They’re not so spooked by my bicycle these days as they were a couple years ago. Crows adapt.
A nice ride. Plenty of warmth and sweat. Herring and laughing gulls above. Not much to report otherwise—birds are pretty quiet in mid-August around here.
At the end of the day, Jack and I took our daily Beech Hill hike. The bay islands floated in a blanket of steam. Crows were the most visible birds on the hill also—they cawed from the periphery, perched in flimsy treetops, occasionally flapped silently by. I heard goldfinches (of course). And happened to spot a catbird in the undergrowth. Catbirds are quiet these days.
No yellowthroats, no flycatchers, only a couple of song sparrows flitting about, and the voices of waxwings from somewhere. I did hear a towhee. And the blackberries continue ripening. I ate twenty-four today.
Returning, I heard chickadees. The seventh (and last) species up there today.
Beech Nut.
This evening, I watched five crows fly quietly across the road and dive into a conifer to roost for the night (I presume). Tonight threads of fog are moving through but I can still see stars—water in suspension. The waning half-moon is rising. I hear a fog horn in the distance. A day much like yesterday. Yep, another nice one.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 5:45 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. American crow
2. American goldfinch (voice)
3. Gray catbird
4. Song sparrow
5. Cedar waxwing (voice)
6. Eastern towhee (voice)
7. Black-capped chickadee (voice)
Elsewhere
8. House sparrow
9. American robin
10. Herring gull
11. Laughing gull
12. Mourning dove
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, black-capped chickadee, Cedar waxwing, eastern towhee, gray catbird, herring gull, house sparrow, laughing gull, mourning dove, song sparrow
