Two crows.
What a day. Up early, frost on the windows, a taste of warming, a bright sun. When I took Jack out first thing, I spotted a solitary Turkey Vulture perched on a pine snag up the hill out back, preening.
Dog and I arrived at Beech Hill today about a quarter to 9 (which, tomorrow, will be a quarter to 10), and I made the mistake of wearing a heavy winter coat over my hooded sweatshirt. I thought I saw some old beech leaves stirring in a breeze.
Turkey Vulture.
Nobody else was there when we arrived. Before we’d gone a couple dozen steps, I had five species on my list—including singing cardinal, goldfinch, and blue jay (first-of-year bird, I believe).
The icy trail was far easier to hike than in recent days on account of its frost-roughened surface. By the time we reached the summit, I was feeling warm, and the loveliness of the white-foggy bay raised my spirits even higher than their usual heights, and I decided to trace all trails. Down in the quiet woods—there turned out not to be much wind at all—we stopped and stood in one place for about fifteen minutes, and I saw nuthatches and a brown creeper and hear the voice (and hammering) of a pileated woodpecker. Coming back up from Rockville Street, I heard a singing robin and the voice of a mourning dove.
(Note: at one point I heard an unfamiliar one-note call—it was repeated about once every five or ten seconds—that I didn’t recognize. Never did catch up to the bird.)
We ended up seeing three people on the way back over, meeting two of them. Each had a dog (two were off-leash, and one was not under the control of its owner, alas). By that time I was perspiring like crazy under my heavy winter wear, but I didn’t much mind.
Northern Shrike.
Then I saw a shrike perched at the tip of the lone oak tree.
And on the way home, I spotted a solitary singing male cardinal on the top bare branch of a roadside hardwood, and on Route 1, a bluebird dove down to the shoulder in front of us to pluck up some morsel of food.
Although there’s a forecast of more snow next week, I feel the power of the sun and on our tilted, revolving planet and the thrill of potential energy all around.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 8:45 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Black-capped Chickadee**
2. Northern Cardinal* (v)
3. American Crow*
4. American Goldfinch (v)
5. Blue Jay (v)
6. White-breasted Nuthatch**
7. Pileated Woodpecker (v)
8. Brown Creeper
9. American Robin* (v)
10. Mourning Dove (v)
11. Northern Shrike
12. Tufted Titmouse** (v)
Elsewhere
13. Turkey Vulture
14. Herring Gull
15. Eastern Bluebird
16. Common Raven (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Mark Island.
