Sunny, warm, a bit windy. Not a lot of birdsong early, but things picked up toward the top of the hill.
Notable were a loon in flight (voice only), bunch of turkey vultures, waxwings, and a Great Crested Flycatcher.
Had a bunch of conversations with other humans who took advantage of the lovely weather to take a morning hike. Enjoyed it a lot—the conversation, this day, my dog.
More tomorrow!
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:57 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Northern Cardinal (v) 2. Red-eyed Vireo** (v) 3. Ovenbird** (v) 4. Common Yellowthroat** 5. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 6. American Goldfinch 7. Veery (v) 8. Chestnut-sided Warbler 9. Gray Catbird** 10. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 11. Eastern Towhee 12. Alder Flycatcher (v) 13. Tufted Titmouse (v) 14. Field Sparrow 15. Yellow Warbler (v) 16. Song Sparrow** 17. American Robin* 18. Cedar Waxwing 19. Prairie Warbler (v) 20. Eastern Phoebe* 21. American Crow* (v) 22. Savannah Sparrow (v) 23. Common Loon (v) 24. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 25. Turkey Vulture 26. Broad-winged Hawk (v) 27. Tree Swallow 28. Great Crested Flycatcher (v) 29. Hermit Thrush (v) 30. American Redstart (v)
Elsewhere
31. Mourning Dove 32. Herring Gull 33. Rock Pigeon
Mammals
Eastern Chipmunk
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Rained early, but it moved on, so dog and I hit the trailhead by about mid-morning. Drippy about 60° (F), with plenty of mosquitoes (which, interestingly, have seemed most successful in biting me on the neck).
More birds than I imagined—including a first-of-year Barred Owl letting go with a brief but unmistakable hoot from down on the southern wood edge. Also a raven. A sapsucker down in the trees. And in perhaps the funnest moment, the discovery of a couple of blue flag irises—first of year.
Should be clearing up tomorrow, election day. Will hike early then ride my bicycle up to the town office to vote.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 9:39 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Ovenbird 2. Red-eyed Vireo 3. Eastern Phoebe 4. Black-throated Green Warbler 5. Common Yellowthroat 6. Veery 7. American Goldfinch 8. American Redstart 9. Gray Catbird 10. Chestnut-sided Warbler 11. Alder Flycatcher 12. Tufted Titmouse 13. Eastern Towhee 14. Yellow Warbler 15. Song Sparrow 16. American Crow 17. Prairie Warbler 18. Purple Finch 19. Cedar Waxwing 20. Tree Swallow 21. Common Raven 22. American Robin 23. House Wren 24. Blue Jay 25. Field Sparrow 26. Barred Owl† 27. Pileated Woodpecker 28. Black-capped Chickadee 29. Hermit Thrush 30. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (v)
Elsewhere
31. Northern Parula (v) 32. European Starling 33. Herring Gull
Mammals
Eastern Chipmunk
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
This morning dawned cool but warmed up quickly. Dog and I proceeded up the trail amid clouds of mosquitos and the voices of many birds.
Notable were Red-breasted Nuthatch, Black-billed Cuckoo, a Common Loon in flight, a first-of-year Brown Thrasher, and a pair of vocal (first-of-year) Red-shouldered Hawks having some kind of relationship high in the sky.
I got quite a few photos, too—but I’ve decided to post the last one of our hike: a Hermit Thrush, posing near the trailhead.
Supposed to be showery tomorrow. We shall see.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:47 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Ovenbird** 2. Red-eyed Vireo** 3. Common Yellowthroat 4. Eastern Phoebe* 5. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 6. Black-and-white Warbler (v) 7. Tufted Titmouse (v) 8. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 9. American Goldfinch** 10. Cedar Waxwing 11. Veery 12. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 13. American Redstart** 14. Hairy Woodpecker 15. Northern Cardinal** (v) 16. Chestnut-sided Warbler** 17. Eastern Towhee 18. Gray Catbird 19. Alder Flycatcher 20. Black-billed Cuckoo (v) 21. Scarlet Tanager (v) 22. Common Loon (v) 23. Song Sparrow** 24. Prairie Warbler (v) 25. Yellow Warbler 26. American Robin* 27. Tree Swallow 28. American Crow* 29. Chipping Sparrow** (v) 30. Blue-headed Vireo (v) 31. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 32. House Wren 33. Great Crested Flycatcher (v) 34. Brown Thrasher† 35. Broad-winged Hawk 36. Red-shouldered Hawk† 37. Savannah Sparrow (v) 38. Hermit Thrush
Elsewhere
39. Mourning Dove
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
