Such a lovely morning. Mosquitos, sure. Ticks. Brown-tailed Moth caterpillars. But also a green, green woodland, and a fresh, fragrant breeze, and distant views of the bay islands, and birds—birds galore.
Had thirty-five species this morning (a couple more than I’d counted at the time), but only two other (friendly) humans and one (curious) dog.
Later—under warm, partly cloud skies—I took a good long bike ride, did a couple errands (but mostly just did it for the ride). Felt real good, man. I sooo missed cycling the past three years.
Now to see what tomorrow brings.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:25 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Ovenbird** (v) 2. Red-eyed Vireo** (v) 3. Common Yellowthroat 4. Song Sparrow** 5. Eastern Phoebe* 6. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 7. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 8. American Redstart** (v) 9. Veery (v) 10. Northern Cardinal (v) 11. Eastern Towhee 12. Chestnut-sided Warbler 13. Alder Flycatcher 14. American Goldfinch** 15. Northern Flicker (v) 16. Yellow Warbler 17. Gray Catbird 18. Tree Swallow 19. Prairie Warbler (v) 20. Cedar Waxwing 21. American Robin* 22. American Crow* 23. Great Crested Flycatcher (v) 24. Tufted Titmouse (v) 25. House Wren 26. Chipping Sparrow** 27. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 28. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 29. Eastern Bluebird* (v) 30. Black-and-white Warbler (v) 31. Broad-winged Hawk 32. Blue Jay 33. Field Sparrow (v) 34. Hermit Thrush (v) 35. Brown Creeper
Elsewhere
36. Herring Gull 37. Purple Finch 38. Osprey (v)
Mammals
Eastern Chipmunk
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
And the sun came up, and it shone on the landscape uninterrupted by any cloud. And the wind rose from the west and caused the new-leafed trees to whisper and sigh. And dog and I had a lovely morning hike (plus a little dog/human interaction).
And I listed thirty bird species.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:52 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo** 2. American Robin 3. Ovenbird** 4. American Crow* 5. Tufted Titmouse (v) 6. Common Yellowthroat 7. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 8. American Redstart** (v) 9. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 10. Black-and-white Warbler** 11. Veery 12. Chestnut-sided Warbler (v) 13. Alder Flycatcher 14. Red-breasted Nuthatch 15. Blue Jay 16. Eastern Towhee 17. American Goldfinch 18. Gray Catbird (v) 19. Yellow Warbler 20. Tree Swallow 21. Prairie Warbler (v) 22. Song Sparrow** 23. Turkey Vulture 24. House Wren (v) 25. Field Sparrow (v) 26. Broad-winged Hawk (v) 27. Chipping Sparrow 28. Hermit Thrush (v) 29. Blue-headed Vireo 30. Eastern Wood-pewee (v)
Elsewhere
31. Mallard 32. Herring Gull 33. Rock Pigeon
Mammals
Eastern Chipmunk
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Rained all morning, maybe totaling an inch or so. Stopped in afternoon, so dog and I had ourselves a drippy hike up a hill—just Jack and me and the trees and birds and mosquitos.
Truly a lovely, luscious hike. Water. It’s what I missed while out west; it’s what we got today.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 1:57 p.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Eastern Phoebe* 2. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 3. Red-eyed Vireo** 4. Ovenbird** 5. American Robin 6. Black-capped Chickadee** (v) 7. Eastern Towhee 8. Brown Creeper 9. Eastern Wood-pewee 10. Black-and-white Warbler (v) 11. Tufted Titmouse 12. Chestnut-sided Warbler** 13. Common Yellowthroat 14. American Goldfinch 15. American Redstart** (v) 16. Alder Flycatcher 17. Song Sparrow 18. Gray Catbird* 19. Yellow Warbler 20. Prairie Warbler 21. House Wren 22. American Crow 23. Hermit Thrush 24. Field Sparrow 25. Tree Swallow 26. Northern Cardinal
Elsewhere
27. Mallard
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
