Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:30 a.m., I hiked all trails.
Black-throated Green Warbler.
I’m kind of partial to wood-warblers. They are the birds that lured me into the birding life nearly 40 years ago. How well I remember my first May in Maine, having moved here from Texas the year before, and the strange, unfamiliar birdsong that came from the leafing-out woodlands.
And how well I remember finding the tiny, colorful sources of that music: the wood-warblers. Sure, other birds were also revelations—Hermit Thrush, booming grouse, Eastern Wood-pewee—but it’s the warblers that snagged my like a fish on a hook.
Unfortunate analogy, but you get the idea.
Plenty of singing warblers this bright morning. And plenty more yet to arrive.
1. American Robin* 2. Black-throated Green Warbler 3. Ovenbird 4. Black-and-white Warbler 5. Northern Parula 6. Gray Catbird (v) 7. Eastern Towhee 8. Herring Gull* 9. American Crow* 10. American Goldfinch** 11. Field Sparrow (v) 12. Common Yellowthroat 13. Nashville Warbler 14. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 15. Song Sparrow** (v) 16. Tree Swallow 17. Blue-headed Vireo 18. American Kestrel 19. Tufted Titmouse (v) 20. Eastern Bluebird 21. Chipping Sparrow** (v) 22. Great Blue Heron 23. Osprey 24. Common Raven 25. Red-tailed Hawk 26. Eastern Phoebe 27. Pileated Woodpecker (v) 28. Northern Cardinal
Elsewhere
29. House Finch (v) 30. Mourning Dove
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Supposed to rain all day today, and sure enough there was a steady drizzle going on when first I looked out the window. Checked the radar, finally made a decision to move (about two hours later than usual)—and somehow the timing was great. Just very light rain (if any) during our two hours on the hill.
Twenty-two species, too, somehow. Best sighting was a pair of bluebirds apparently laying claim to one of the bird boxes. Guess we’ll see tomorrow (when it should be less rainy).
Addendum: Tonight, in bed, I heard out my window the calls of Barred Owls.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 9:30 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. American Robin (v) 2. Ovenbird (v) 3. Hermit Thrush 4. Black-and-white Warbler 5. Eastern Towhee 6. American Crow* 7. Herring Gull* 8. Blue Jay (v) 9. American Goldfinch 10. Field Sparrow (v) 11. Gray Catbird (v) 12. Song Sparrow 13. Blue-headed Vireo 14. Eastern Phoebe 15. American Kestrel 16. Eastern Bluebird 17. Purple Finch (v) 18. Tufted Titmouse 19. Yellow-rumped Warbler (v) 20. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 21. Northern Flicker (v) 22. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
Elsewhere
23. House Finch 24. Rock Pigeon 25. Barred Owl (v)
This morning was chilly, breezy, bright. The birds were there, but they were hunkered down, flitting in the shadows, keeping on the quiet side. So Jack and I had to sneak quietly around to find ’em.
Which was a lot of fun. Tiny subtle movements revealed vireos or thrushes or warblers. Not a lot of singing.
The most dramatic occurrence was when a raven descended into the woodland canopy directly above us (as we were standing still, listening to little birds), followed by crows. A raven can’t go anywhere without an entourage.
Rain tomorrow, so they say. We shall see.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:30 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Ovenbird (v) 2. American Robin (v) 3. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 4. White-breasted Nuthatch 5. Black-and-white Warbler 6. Hermit Thrush 7. Tufted Titmouse** (v) 8. Black-capped Chickadee** 9. Turkey Vulture 10. Blue Jay** 11. Eastern Towhee 12. Great Crested Flycatcher (v) 13. Northern Parula 14. White-throated Sparrow 15. Herring Gull* (v) 16. American Crow* 17. Nashville Warbler (v) 18. Tree Swallow 19. Field Sparrow (v) 20. Yellow-rumped Warbler (v) 21. Common Yellowthroat 22. American Goldfinch** 23. Downy Woodpecker (v) 24. Eastern Phoebe 25. American Kestrel 26. Osprey 27. Chipping Sparrow** 28. Gray Catbird (v) 29. Blue-headed Vireo 30. Common Raven 31. Pileated Woodpecker
Elsewhere
32. House Finch 33. Rock Pigeon 34. European Starling 35. Ring-billed Gull
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
