A gray overcast greeted dog and me as we headed over to the wooded trailhead. Warm but not too warm, humid but just the right amount of humidity. However, the woods were very quiet. Was this because of the barometric pressure? The overcast? The humidity? The time of year? Or did the quiet have something to do with all the new young birds flitting around in the thick foliage?
I’m thinking a combination of factors. but certainly the need to feed had something to do with it. All told, fewer birds than in many recent weeks, but a few bother to pose for photos—among them a juvie robin.
Beech Hill List Starting at 6:56 a.m. EST (7:56 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. American Goldfinch** 2. Red-eyed Vireo** (v) 3. American Crow* 4. Eastern Towhee 5. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 6. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 7. Tufted Titmouse (v) 8. Black-capped Chickadee 9. Gray Catbird 10. American Robin* 11. Common Yellowthroat 12. Alder Flycatcher (v) 13. Song Sparrow* 14. Field Sparrow (v) 15. Mourning Dove* 16. Great Crested Flycatcher (v) 17. Yellow Warbler (v) 18. Hermit Thrush (v) 19. Cedar Waxwing (v) 20. Chestnut-sided Warbler 21. Downy Woodpecker 22. Eastern Phoebe
Elsewhere
23. Herring Gull 24. Wild Turkey
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
A surprise period of rain overnight left the trails damp this morning—which was not necessarily a bad thing, as the sun shone on dog and me as we started up the morning trail. Hiking conditions were warm and humid, and the our hike turned out to be pretty quiet, bird-wise.
But several did pose for photos, including a handsome Yellow Warbler in a birch tree.
Beech Hill List Starting at 6:56 a.m. EST (7:56 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo** (v) 2. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 3. American Goldfinch** 4. Blue Jay (v) 5. American Crow* 6. Eastern Towhee 7. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 8. Eastern Wood-pewee 9. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v) 10. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 11. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (v) 12. Ovenbird (v) 13. Gray Catbird* 14. American Robin* 15. Alder Flycatcher (v) 16. Common Yellowthroat 17. Song Sparrow** 18. Field Sparrow (v) 19. Mourning Dove* 20. Yellow Warbler 21. Cedar Waxwing 22. Northern Flicker (v) 23. Eastern Bluebird (v) 24. Hermit Thrush (v) 25. Turkey Vulture 26. Northern Cardinal** (v)
Elsewhere
27. Herring Gull 28. House Sparrow (v)
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Quick hike with our human and dog friends this warm, bright morning. Pretty quiet still—quieter than yesterday—what with all the young birds about. No great photos today—but it was a fun one.
But, back home, out on the west lawn, I got a photo of a House Finch.
Beech Hill List Starting at 6:58 a.m. EST (7:58 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo (v) 2. Eastern Phoebe (v) 3. Tufted Titmouse 4. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 5. Song Sparrow** 6. American Goldfinch 7. Ovenbird (v) 8. Hermit Thrush (v) 9. Eastern Towhee 10. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 11. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 12. American Crow* 13. Northern Flicker (v) 14. American Robin* 15. Pileated Woodpecker (v) 16. Blue Jay (v) 17. Gray Catbird 18. Common Yellowthroat (v) 19. Field Sparrow (v) 20. Cedar Waxwing 21. Yellow Warbler (v) 22. Alder Flycatcher (v) 23. Turkey Vulture 24. Purple Finch (v)
