’Twas a cool and quiet morning when dog and I started up the wooded trailhead. A few bird vocalizations greeted us, but not a lot. Adults still talking to their young ’uns, mostly or, rarely, singing—or teaching their young ’uns the family tunes.
Fog at the summit, and dimness elsewhere early, so no award-winning photos, but a chickadee posed toward the end of our hike.
Later in the day the sun came out and giant billowy clouds rose above the bay.
Beech Hill List Starting at 6:58 a.m. EST (7:58 DST), I hiked all trails.
The forecast rain arrived a bit earlier than the weather radar suggested, so dog and I got rather soaked this morning, but we didn’t care. Moderate temperatures, nice bit of wind, on-and-off showers keeping Jack cool—frankly, we both loved it.
We only hiked the main trial, though, meaning my daily list has few bird species. And only one that posed for a semi-decent photo: a juvie towhee.
Thundershowers overnight, but the sun should emerge at some point tomorrow.
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:03 a.m. EST (8:03 DST), I hiked the main trail.
1. Gray Catbird 2. Black-capped Chickadee 3. American Goldfinch (v) 4. Eastern Towhee 5. American Crow 6. Eastern Bluebird (v) 7. Song Sparrow* 8. Eastern Phoebe 9. Common Yellowthroat (v) 10. Herring Gull* 11. Cedar Waxwing 12. Red-shouldered Hawk 13. Northern Cardinal (v) 14. Hermit Thrush (v)
Elsewhere
15. Mourning Dove
Mammals
16. American Red Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Dog and I hiked up through such a cool and breezy and luscious wood this morning. Also rather quiet. Birds don’t sing or call so much when they’ve got youngsters to raise (as I’ve certainly mentioned before), and the numbers were low this day—but what I heard and saw in the nearly silent trees (as usual) moved me.
Birds occupied the open summit and airy barrens also—but they were drowned out by the sound of machines. Noise, I should say. It’s a pet peeve, I must say—the horrible metallic whines and groans and growls and clanks and screeches of humanity. A plane flying low above, an annoyingly loud tractor across the valley.
If we humans are so smart and creative, how come we can’t engineer machines that make no noise—or at least very, very little? Too often I find myself yearning for quietude.
Some days aren’t so bad, though. Maybe tomorrow will be like that (it’s supposed to rain).
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:05 a.m. EST (8:05 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo (v) 2. Black-capped Chickadee 3. Tufted Titmouse 4. Downy Woodpecker 5. Northern Cardinal 6. American Goldfinch 7. Eastern Wood-pewee 8. White-breasted Nuthatch 9. Veery 10. Gray Catbird 11. Eastern Towhee 12. Alder Flycatcher 13. Mourning Dove 14. Cedar Waxwing 15. Song Sparrow 16. Common Yellowthroat 17. Barn Swallow 18. American Robin 19. Common Raven 20. Blue Jay
