Blackpoll warbler (juvenile).
Every now and then a day comes along that’s full of little unexpected nature sightings. Today was one of those days.
This morning was a rainy one, and I stayed at my desk for much of the day. I did get out late to take care of a couple errands, but the only birds I noticed were gulls and mourning doves. Heard jays and crows around my place. Saw several flattened squirrels on the roads. But after a while, the rain stopped and we were left with a chilly overcast. After some debate, I decided to wear an old hooded sweatshirt on my hike with dog up Beech Hill.
Crow and bay.
Turns out I didn’t need it. Blue patches began to appear in the sky as we pulled into the parking lot, and the sun came out—for the first time today—as we started up the trail. Around the first curve, both Jack and I spotted a red squirrel on a tree limb vigorously gnawing a spruce cone. No more than thirty or forty paces later, the bird action started.
As often lately, it happened where the trail first winds up through thick young growth. First I heard chickadees. Then the alarm chat of a catbird flitting off into the bushes. As we slowly approached the voices of the chickadees, a little bird suddenly flitted out into the open. A warbler of some kind. I snapped of a few quick photos, then it was gone. About all I saw was an eye-stripe, and I thought it might’ve been a Tennessee warbler but could only hope my few blurry photos would confirm an ID. (As it happened, I got a couple sharp ones: it was a young blackpoll.) Nice surprise to see a warbler for a change.
We continued on. Spotted the chickadees. Heard crows and jays. Coming up the steep open stretch, I heard a flicker down the southern slope. (They’ve been calling lately.) Then, out of nowhere, a harrier appeared low above the hillside in front of us. I pulled my camera up, but the hawk saw us and veered away up the trail and over. (That photo was a blurry one.) Harriers sightings should increase in coming weeks. Still a nice surprise.
Red squirrel.
We surprised a song sparrow but saw not much else while circling Beech Nut—except for a lovely view of the bay. But on our return trip down, I heard a faint familiar sound in the distant toward Chickawaukie Lake. It took a few seconds for me to realize what I was listening to: the flight calls of a flock of Canada geese. Never did see the geese. But the sound of them goes well with the changing season.
The cry of a towhee down near the parking lot finished off today’s Beech Hill List. But driving home along South Street, we came upon a white-tailed deer just standing on the road in front of us. Its absolutely motionless and natural camouflage fooled me until we’d gotten very near the deer. It just stood there looking at the approaching truck. I braked fast but quietly, thinking I might get a nice picture—but as soon as the truck stopped (only about fifty feet away), it bounded off the pavement and across a field and into a little wood.
It was perhaps the nicest surprise of the day.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 5:30 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Black-capped chickadee
2. Gray catbird (voice)
3. Blackpoll warbler
4. American crow
5. Blue jay (voice)
6. Northern flicker (voice)
7. Northern harrier
8. Song sparrow
9. Canada goose (voice)
10. Eastern towhee (voice)
Elsewhere
11. Herring gull
12. Mourning dove
Birch.
Tags: American crow, black-capped chickadee, blackpoll warbler, blue jay, Canada goose, eastern towhee, gray catbird, herring gull, mourning dove, northern flicker, northern harrier, song sparrow
