There's a junco in here somewhere.
At Beech Hill this late-afternoon—the afternoon of a mostly sunny, coolish-sea-breeze sort of day—I heard the alarm notes of an eastern towhee. As nearly always happens with the first listen to the voice of a familiar migrant upon its return, it took me a few seconds to realize what the heck I was hearing. (Just wait a couple weeks until the warblers start to arrive.)
Maple buds.
Towhees love Beech Hill. During nesting season, they’re everywhere. I think its the only species that you can see or hear at all ten points of the Beech Hill Nesting Survey grid, and I doubt I’ve ever had a hike up there in high season without running across at least a few. It’s pretty remarkable.
But I like it. Come singing time, from all over the hill, birds will be advising me to “drink your tea!”
Anyway. First towhee today. ‘Course it kept in the undergrowth and I never did get a look at it. Soon, though. Soon.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 4:45 p.m., I hiked the open trails.
1. Mallard
2. Mourning dove (v)*
3. American crow*
4. Black-capped chickadee (v)*
5. Herring gull*
6. American robin*
7. Northern flicker (v)
8. Turkey vulture
9. Wild turkey (v)
10. Eastern towhee (v)†
11. Song sparrow (v)*
12. American goldfinch (v)*
13. Eastern phoebe*
14. Hermit thrush
15. White-breasted nuthatch (v)
Elsewhere
16. Tufted titmouse (v)
17. Northern cardinal
18. House finch
19. European starling
20. Osprey (v)
21. Rock pigeon
22. Double-crested cormorant
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
†First-of-year bird
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, black-capped chickadee, double-crested cormorant, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, European starling, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, mallard, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern flicker, osprey, rock pigeon, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, turkey vulture, white-breasted nuthatch, wild turkey
