The early morning air was warm, the sky was mostly overcast, there was a bit of breeze. There would be birds—but rather subdued birds, secretive birds, returning or nesting or foraging. And there were a bunch.
Most notable were three Palm Warblers—first-of-year birds—that I happened to hear, then see. Only one posed for a half-way decent photo.
Toward the end of my hike with dog, a raven flew over, moving fast avoiding a dive-bombing crow.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 6:26 a.m. real time (7:26 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Song Sparrow* 2. American Robin* 3. Eastern Phoebe** 4. Northern Cardinal** (v) 5. American Goldfinch (v) 6. Tufted Titmouse (v) 7. Blue Jay** 8. Black-capped Chickadee** 9. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 10. Red-winged Blackbird (v) 11. Brown Creeper 12. Eastern Bluebird 13. American Crow* 14. Palm Warbler† 15. Downy Woodpecker** (v) 16. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 17. Herring Gull* (v) 18. Yellow-rumped Warbler 19. Northern Flicker** 20. Brown-headed Cowbird 21. Hairy Woodpecker 22. American Kestrel 23. Common Raven
Elsewhere
24. House Sparrow
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
What a lovely morning! Clear and freezing to start, but not too much wind and warming fast. Two first-of-year species (Hermit Thrush and Brown-headed Cowbird), and a nice run-in with a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker doing its signature syncopated drumming on a particularly resonant trunk.
Harrier, bluebirds, robins, grouse, kinglet. Twenty-six species today—but those numbers will rise soon enough.
Every morning’s like a birthday.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 6:16 a.m. real time (7:16 DST), I hiked all trails—and then some.
1. Tufted Titmouse** 2. American Goldfinch** 3. Black-capped Chickadee** 4. Eastern Phoebe* 5. Brown Creeper 6. Blue Jay (v) 7. American Crow* 8. Northern Cardinal* (v) 9. American Robin* 10. Eastern Bluebird 11. Hairy Woodpecker 12. Downy Woodpecker 13. White-breasted Nuthatch 14. Ruffed Grouse 15. Golden-crowned Kinglet 16. Pileated Woodpecker 17. Song Sparrow 18. Pine Siskin (v) 19. Red-winged Blackbird 20. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 21. Mourning Dove 22. Hermit Thrush 23. Brown-headed Cowbird 24. Red-breasted Nuthatch 25. Northern Harrier 26. Herring Gull
A nearly cloudless sky this morning, with temperatures below freezing to start. The trails weren’t muddy headed up the hill, but a bit greasy headed down. In the interim, I managed to spy two dozen bird species—and get a single photo of a gray ghost. That right there sorta made my day.
But it was also nice to run into human and dog friends, and to see that the Beech Nut phoebe has returned. (Another eagle today also.)
Wonder what Easter Sunday will bring.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 6:18 a.m. real time (7:18 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Tufted Titmouse** (v) 2. Brown Creeper 3. American Goldfinch** 4. American Crow* 5. Downy Woodpecker 6. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 7. Northern Cardinal** (v) 8. Eastern Bluebird 9. Blue Jay** (v) 10. Black-capped Chickadee** 11. American Robin* 12. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 13. Song Sparrow** 14. Eastern Phoebe** 15. Hairy Woodpecker 16. Yellow-rumped Warbler 17 Northern Harrier 18. Herring Gull* 19. Turkey Vulture 20. Bald Eagle 21. Dark-eyed Junco (v) 22. Common Raven 23. Common Grackle 24. Ruffed Grouse (drumming)
Elsewhere
25. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v)
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
