Today was one of those days where you get to working early and work straight through lunch. At least that’s what happened to me. I kind of forgot what day it was, even. Looked up at the gray sky out the window—the sky was an even, medium, unblemished gray, from horizon to horizon—and realized it was well into afternoon.
Took a quick trip with dog to town to pick up the mail. On the way, a wild turkey flew suddenly across Route 1 in front of us, and a we flushed a mourning dove from the roadside. Then I drove us away from the shore to our favorite little bald inland hill. En route, I spotted a family of mallards in a little farm pond. Crows about. And gulls.
Only a solitary hiker on the hill this cold day—and it did feel truly cold, this day, for the first time in a while—just returning to his pickup. Chickadees at the parking lot, and I heard the voice of a brown creeper. Heard the caw of a crow. As we climbed the steep slope, I heard a song sparrow’s note coming from somewhere in thicket. And again I scanned Chickie for coots (and again saw a raft of ’em down there).
Coming around the upper curve, I spotted a crow-sized bird flying above the eastern hillside, between us and the bay. Again, it flew not like a crow but like a woodpecker. Another pileated. Two days straight. I felt somehow blessed.
The calls of a jay and a yellow-rump made it eight species this trip—never mind the hint of winter in the air.
A hint that lingers tonight. An overcast night. Temperatures somewhere in the thirties.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 5 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Black-capped chickadee (voice)
2. Brown creeper (voice).
3. American crow (voice)
4. Song sparrow (voice)
5. American coot
6. Pileated woodpecker
7. Blue jay (voice)
8. Yellow-rumped warbler (voice)
Elsewhere
9. Herring gull
10. Wild turkey
11. Mourning dove
12. Mallard
Tags: American coot, American crow, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, brown creeper, herring gull, mallard, mourning dove, pileated woodpecker, song sparrow, wild turkey, yellow-rumped warbler