Maine has foggy days. This day—at least the morning of this day—brought the second or third good fog to my morning hike with dog.
I like fog. When there’s no fog for a while, I miss it. I’ve written poems about fog—“Droplets in suspension linger”—and appreciate the sly suggestiveness of it, the dreamy idea that usually visible familiar things are out there somewhere, hiding.
Had a nice conversation, introduced Jack to some elementary school kids, followed the exploits of the recently arrived House Wren.
Yes, I missed water while out west, and now it’s all around me.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:32 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo** 3. Ovenbird** 3. Eastern Phoebe* 4. Tufted Titmouse (v) 5. Common Yellowthroat 6. American Crow* 7. Northern Cardinal (v) 8. Black-throated Green Warbler** (v) 9. Veery** (v) 10. American Goldfinch (v) 11. American Redstart (v) 12. Chestnut-sided Warbler** 13. Gray Catbird 14. Eastern Towhee** 15. Alder Flycatcher 16. Black-capped Chickadee** (v) 17. Song Sparrow** (v) 18. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 19. Yellow Warbler 20. Field Sparrow 21. American Robin* 22. Great Crested Flycatcher (v) 23. Tree Swallow 24. House Wren 25. Hermit Thrush (v)
Elsewhere
26. Mallard
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Had a late-morning hike with dog today on account of his introductory visit with the new vet. Rained earlier, but by the time we hit the trail, the sun had come out. And so had the people. And the birds.
Had a couple nice, interesting chats. Led a quick tour of Beech Nut. Photographed coasting schooners. And came upon a first-of-year pair of kingbirds. Also hawk and vulture and pair of ospreys, but the kingbirds— fluttering about in the spruce grove on the summit—kind of took the cake.
Still a few resident species I haven’t yet heard or seen (e.g., Black-throated Blue Warbler), though, which gives me hope for the near future.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 10:52 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo** 2. Song Sparrow** 3. Ovenbird** 4. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 5. Common Yellowthroat (v) 6. American Crow* (v) 7. Veery (v) 8. American Goldfinch 9. American Redstart (v) 10. Chestnut-sided Warbler** 11. Tufted Titmouse (v) 12. Gray Catbird 13. Eastern Towhee 14. Alder Flycatcher 15. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 16. Field Sparrow 17. Yellow Warbler 18. Blue Jay (v) 19. Tree Swallow 20. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v) 21. Eastern Kingbird† 22. Turkey Vulture 23. Prairie Warbler (v) 24. Broad-winged Hawk 25. Eastern Bluebird 26. House Wren 27. Eastern Phoebe 28. Chipping Sparrow (v) 29. Purple Finch 30. Nashville Warbler (v) 31. Osprey 32. Black-and-white Warbler (v)
Elsewhere
33. Mallard
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
A nearly cloudless, chilly morning—chilly in a good Maine spring way. Was quiet coming up the wooded trail, but by the end of things, I had a goodly number of species on my list.
Most notable today was the celebratory appearance of a House Wren atop the post of the bluebird box down near Beech Hill Road. Singing his head off, he was. Sprays of brown grass tumbled out of the box hole. Could it be we’ll have a wren’s nest this year.
Grackle was another first-of-preserve bird—a flyover.
A lovely first of June day.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:37 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo** 2. Eastern Phoebe 3. Ovenbird** 4. Black-throated Green Warbler** (v) 5. Song Sparrow** 6. Common Yellowthroat 7. Northern Cardinal** (v) 8. Chestnut-sided Warbler 9. Downy Woodpecker 10. Pileated Woodpecker (drumming) 11. American Redstart** 12. Veery** 13. Gray Catbird** 14. Blue Jay (v) 15. American Goldfinch 16. American Crow* 17. Eastern Towhee 18. Black-capped Chickadee** 19. Alder Flycatcher 20. Yellow Warbler 21. Field Sparrow (v) 22. Tree Swallow 23. American Robin* 24. Prairie Warbler (v) 25. Savannah Sparrow 26. Eastern Bluebird 27. House Wren† 28. Common Raven (v) 29. Scarlet Tanager 30. Tufted Titmouse** 31. Common Grackle† 32. Chipping Sparrow** 33. Eastern Wood-pewee
Elsewhere
34. Mallard 35 Herring Gull
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
