7 November 2026

Posts Tagged ‘American coot’

Winter

Friday, December 23rd, 2011
Jack on the trail, Beech Hill, Rockport, Maine, 23 December 2011.

Jack on the trail.

Not much snow here at Clam Cove, but a little at Beech Hill. Some ice on the ponds. Pigeons wheeling around above town.

Birch, Beech Hill, Rockport, Maine, 23 December 2011.

Birch.

I drove to Portland to pick up the daughter. Lovely to have her here for a few days. Nice also to have compiled a half-way decent bird list at the hill today—including a flicker bouncing away from the open trail near the summit. Coots at Chickie still, although colder temperatures might well prevent them from swimming soon. Typically, you can skate by New Year’s around here. Iffy this year.

Late night. Looking forward to a lazy day tomorrow.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 12:45 p.m., I hiked the open trail.

1. Black-capped chickadee
2. White-breasted nuthatch (voice)
3. Northern flicker
4. American coot
5. American crow (voice)
6. Hairy woodpecker (voice)

Elsewhere

7. Herring gull
8. Rock pigeon
9. Mallard

Solstice

Thursday, December 22nd, 2011
Coastal hills, from Beech Hill, Rockport, Maine, 22 December 2011.

Coastal hills.

The shortest day. A sunny one, relatively mild. High pre-holiday traffic, birds here and there. On Beech Hill, an ancient feel to the landscape—a timeless-seeming view. Monhegan out on the southern horizon, Isle au Haut a blue lump far beyond the coppery old grass of the slope. Nearer, under a trail-side spruce, the leavings of a red squirrel. Little dude’s been busy.

Red squirrel leavings, Beech Hill, Rockport, Maine, 22 December 2011.

Red squirrel leavings.

Tonight, hazy stars. Supposed to get a little snow tomorrow, then—right on cue—things turn colder.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 3:30 p.m., I hiked the open trail

1. American coot

Elsewhere

2. American crow
3. Herring gull
4. House finch
5. European starling
6. Mallard
7. Mourning dove

It rained

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011
Rainy trail, Beech Hill, Rockport, Maine, 21 December 2011.

Rainy trail.

Rain came early. Slippery at first, then just muddy and wet. Jack and I got nice and soggy during our quick Beech Hill hike in late-afternoon. No birds up there while we were there—but three species at Chickawaukie Lake, and three more elsewhere.

(Not that I really went looking or anything.)

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 3:30 p.m., I hiked the open trail.

No birds seen or heard on the hill today.

Elsewhere

1. American crow
2. Herring gull
3. European starling
4. Mallard
5. Bufflehead
6. American coot

 
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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