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Posts Tagged ‘pileated woodpecker’
Friday, April 4th, 2014
 Pileated Woodpecker (male). Got up real early, nuked some coffee, grabbed Jack, and headed for Beech Hill.
A little nippy up there, but calm and the sun rose fast. A frost kept the slush fairly solid on the way up through the woods. Birds all over the place, staking out their territories—singing chickadees, singing nuthatches, singing cardinals. Others moving through, e.g., blackbirds (red-wings, grackles, and cowbirds flying over). The shrike hasn’t left yet.
In fact, as I was taking a little video of the shrike near the Beech Hill Road gate, I heard a pileated woodpecker’s cry. Then I heard a woodpecker drumming—the pileated, I felt sure. We walked up to the road and I searched for the bird, whose drumming seemed loud and nearby. Finally spotted it atop a utility pole. Got a better video of its territorial declarations.
Met up with some CMLT staff and friend Derek at the parking lot—they were about to do a habitat survey of the preserve—then hiked quickly back up and over the hill. Down in the woods, right where I thought it might happen, we flushed a woodcock on the muddy track. Then a second one. I’ll have to pay more attention down there next time through.
 Northern Shrike. This afternoon, a robin bounced around my little front lawn for hours.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7:15 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. American Robin*
2. Downy Woodpecker
3. American Crow*
4. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
5. Mourning Dove*
6. Northern Cardinal**
7. Red-winged Blackbird†
8. Black-capped Chickadee*
9. Blue Jay (v)
10. White-throated Sparrow (v)
11. Herring Gull* (v)
12. Canada Goose (v)
13. Song Sparrow** (v)
14. Northern Shrike
15. Brown-headed Cowbird (v)
16. Common Grackle (v)
17. Pileated Woodpecker*
18. Dark-eyed Junco**
19. House Finch** (v)
20. American Goldfinch (v)
21. Tufted Titmouse** (v)
22. American Woodcock
Elsewhere
23. House Sparrow
24. Rock Dove
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, American woodcock, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, brown-headed cowbird, Canada goose, common grackle, dark-eyed junco, downy woodpecker, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern shrike, pileated woodpecker, red-winged blackbird, rock dove, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch, white-throated sparrow
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
Saturday, March 29th, 2014
 Northern shrike. Warmth. I could feel it before I got out of bed. Also sun (albeit hazy, what with all the water vapor in the air) and calm. And birds.
 Wild turkey. Singing cardinals and song sparrows and house finches. A pair of mallards zipped over. Singing mourning dove and chickadees. Crows, of course. I managed to get dressed and make coffee and a quick breakfast, but then dog and I had to get outside.
Up in the 40s already by the time we got to the still-snowy wooded Beech Hill trail. Not really all that slushy, either, being mostly on the shady side—so we got the benefit of warm air and firm footing. Some pretty icy slopes, though, true. We came upon some robins, heard a pileated woodpecker, and flushed a partridge. Jack, as usual, was the first to spot the turkey. And again on the open hillsides, I caught sight of a lone northern shrike.
Not many people or dogs in the morning up there, but what a luscious spring day it was.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 8:45 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Black-capped Chickadee**
2. Pileated Woodpecker (v)
3. American Crow*
4. American Robin
5. Mourning Dove* (v)
6. Ruffed Grouse
7. Wild Turkey
8. Northern Flicker
9. Northern Shrike
10. Herring Gull
11. Northern Cardinal** (v)
12. Tufted Titmouse (v)
Elsewhere
13. Mallard
14. House Finch (v)
15. Song Sparrow (v)
16. House Sparrow (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American crow, American robin, black-capped chickadee, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, mallard, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern flicker, northern shrike, pileated woodpecker, ruffed grouse, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, wild turkey
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
Monday, March 10th, 2014
 Northern Flicker. It being Monday, I worked like a mad man today—old habits die hard, I guess. But I did manage to tear myself away in late afternoon (or mid-afternoon, discounting DST) to hike Beech Hill as usual. With Jack.
 The bay. Kind of cold up there today—above freezing, but chilly-cold, with a little wind. Right at the parking lot, I hard or saw (mostly heard) a half-dozen species. Only added one after that, too: a solitary flicker I happened to spy far down the snowy northwest slope.
Elsewhere, I heard the cry of a pileated woodpecker and saw a dove and mallard.
Tonight there’s a big ring ’round the moon. Winter storm a-comin’.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 3:30 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. American Robin*
2. Black-Capped Chickadee (v)
3. Brown Creeper (v)
4. Herring Gull*
5. Tufted Titmouse (v)
6. American Crow*
7. Northern Flicker
Elsewhere
8. Pileated Woodpecker (v)
9. Mourning Dove
10. Mallard
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
Tags: American crow, American robin, black-capped chickadee, brown creeper, herring gull, mallard, mourning dove, northern flicker, pileated woodpecker, tufted titmouse
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
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| Bird Report is a (sometimes intermittent) record of the birds I encounter while hiking, see while driving, or spy outside my window. —Brian Willson |
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