Mount Desert.

What a sunny day, what a cold day. Way colder than yesterday. My temperature gauges aren’t working well at the moment, but I’d guess the high might’ve reached 20 degrees (F), and with a lick of breeze. In mid-afternoon, I convinced the daughter to hike Beech Hill with Jack and me. It might’ve been the warmest part of the day, but there’s usually a good wind blowing up on an open hill, and today was no exception. In short, we ended up with brain freeze, pretty much. But we also ended up seeing a tight-knit raft of coots at Chickawaukie lake, a pair of flickers down the eastern slope, and a gaggle of chickadees down at the parking lot. (I also happened to notice a pair of herring gulls down near Route 1.)

Daughter and dog.

Tonight—well, what do you expect when the sun goes down? Cold. Wintry, star-spangled. I love a dark Maine night sky.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 2:15 p.m., I hiked the open trail.

1. American coot
2. Northern flicker
3. Herring gull
4. Black-capped chickadee

Elsewhere

5. American crow
6. Rock pigeon
7. Hairy woodpecker