Beech Nut.
I awoke to a sun-spattered morning. Chilly temperature, light wind. I had little on my mind except writing, college football, and a hike up Beech Hill. I got some writing done. The game went well. And come late afternoon, Jack was ready to get out of the house.
Black-capped chickadee.
A few vehicles greeted us at the parking lot. A little blaze-orange-clad family (and dog) greeted us at the trailhead. I’d forgotten to change out of my sandals, but that’s all right—they’re rugged sandals, and I had wool socks on.
Watched a few chickadees flit about in the trees as we started up the trail. Heard a nuthatch up there with them somewhere. When I realized we were being followed by the walker of two small dogs, we started swiftly up the trail so as not to cause a commotion. And a good, brisk hike it was. A cloudless blue sky, a waxing moon overhanging the bay, and hardly any breeze at all by that time. Took a look out at the lake. Confirmed coots.
That was about all we saw, but that’s all right. Then as we were pulling out of the parking lot, we met a vehicle pulling in. It belonged to our friend Liz, so we backed up. Seems she had an hour to kill, and a quick hike seemed in order, so I figured, what the hell and headed up again.
Good thing we did, too. Right away, I added two birds to my list: a hairy woodpecker and a blue jay calling from the trees. And at the summit, we heard a flicker down the eastern slope, and I caught the faint call of a goldfinch flying by. Better still, as we rounded Beech Nut, Liz asked, “What’s that?” I followed her gaze and beheld a lovely male harrier soaring low between us and the setting sun. Alas, it being between us and the setting sun, photos were next to impossible—but still a nice surprise.
Sailboat.
Finally, back at the parking lot again, Liz spotted a little bird hitching up the trunk of a tree. A brown creeper. So thanks, Liz, for tripling my Beech Hill bird list today.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 4 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Black-capped chickadee
2. White-breasted nuthatch
3. American coot
4. Hairy woodpecker
5. Blue jay
6. Northern flicker
7. American goldfinch
8. Northern harrier
9. Brown creeper
Elsewhere
10. American crow
11. Herring gull
12. European starling
13. Ring-billed gull
14. Great black-backed gull
The open trail.
Tags: American coot, American crow, American goldfinch, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, brown creeper, European starling, great black-backed gull, hairy woodpecker, herring gull, northern flicker, northern harrier, ring-billed gull, white-breasted nuthatch
