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Posts Tagged ‘laughing gull’
Sunday, May 18th, 2014
 Common Yellowthroat. Kind of a nondescript spring day—well, except for the dampness first thing, the brief sunny period, and the settling-in overcast, along with the singing birds, the swiftly fledging forest trees, and some good conversation with people I know from hiking Beech Hill. It pays to get up early in the morning.
 Oak fledgling. Plus, I heard a rattle of a kingfisher while in the woods stalking a Black-throated Blue Warbler.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:30 a.m., I hiked all trails—then at 3 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. American crow*
2. Black-throated Green Warbler**
3. Ovenbird**
4. Blue-headed Vireo (v)
5. Chestnut-sided Warbler
6. Common Yellowthroat**
7. Black-and-white Warbler**
8. Eastern Towhee
9. Great Crested Flycatcher (v)
10. Nashville Warbler
11. Veery (v)
12. Northern Cardinal (v)
13. Blue Jay
14. Northern Flicker (v)
15. Mourning Dove* (v)
16. American Robin
17. American Goldfinch
18. Tufted Titmouse (v)
19. Mallard
20. Gray Catbird
21. Brown-headed Cowbird (v)
22. American Redstart (v)
23. Yellow Warbler**
24. Song Sparrow**
25. Wood Thrush (v)
26. Eastern Phoebe
27. Herring Gull*
28. Savannah Sparrow
29. Chipping Sparrow (v)
30. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v)
31. Northern Parula (v)
32. Hermit Thrush (v)
33. Field Sparrow (v)
34. White-throated Sparrow (v)
35. Tree Swallow
36. Ruby-crowned Kinglet (v)
37. White-breasted Nuthatch** (v)
38. Belted Kingfisher (v)
39. Black-capped Chickadee
40. Black-throated Blue Warbler
41. Downy Woodpecker (v)
Elsewhere
42. House Sparrow
43. Laughing Gull (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, belted kingfisher, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated blue warbler, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, blue-headed vireo, brown-headed cowbird, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat, downy woodpecker, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, field sparrow, gray catbird, great crested flycatcher, hermit thrush, herring gull, house sparrow, laughing gull, mallard, mourning dove, Nashville warblerv, northern cardinal, northern flicker, northern parula, ovenbird, rose-breasted grosbeak, ruby-crowned kinglet, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tree swallow, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch, white-throated sparrow, wood thrush, yellow warbler
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
Saturday, May 17th, 2014
 Ovenbird. I got to thinking about evolution on my quick lonesome hike up Beech Hill Preserve this early wet breezy morning. What prompted these thoughts was the behavior of a Pileated Woodpecker—the same woodpecker that I saw drumming on a utility pole at the main trail gate a few weeks ago. At least I’d bet it’s the same woodpecker, because that’s what it was doing this morning, too, during a lull in the drizzle. I’d already turned and started back up the hill when I heard it. I knew what it was. I hurried back down the trail to try for another video, or at least photos, but as I stuck my head around the corner of the stone gate, it saw me and flew. In my direction it flew. Perched for a second or two in a tree above me, then flapped away as I was focusing my camera.
 Black-and-white Warbler (female). After I’d started up the hill again, I got to thinking about evolution. What made the Pileated Woodpecker display such behavior, from the drumming on the pole to the flight at the sight of me to the flapping away? Sheer Pileated Woodpecker instinct? That would be my hunch: after generation-upon-generation of evolution, this bird’s nervous system knows just what to do, just where to go, no matter what happens, right? I mean, there’s no true decision-making involved, is there?
It might seem like a woodpecker is deciding things—where to go, what to eat, what member of its species to mate with—but that’s not really happening, is it? Couldn’t these apparent decisions simply be a matter of random fate? Where it happens to hatch? What particular trees happen to be growing nearby, what woodlands it happens to fledge in, how hungry it is at any given time, what sources of food are available, etc.? What the weather’s like?
It’s still all a miracle, of course—but which species are actually able to choose different patterns of behavior? Make true decisions, I mean? Crows? Dolphins? Apes? Dogs? Humans?
When you think about it, I suppose even human decision-making is really just a matter of evolution, upbringing, accident, weather. Perhaps everything’s simply predetermined, even.
 Veery. Never mind. Apparently I tend to get philosophical during a soggy tramp through a greening woodland. Usually, I don’t know what the hell I’m talking about.
1. Black-throated Green Warbler**
2. Ovenbird**
3. Chestnut-sided Warbler**
4. Blue-headed Vireo (v)
5. Common Yellowthroat**
6. Eastern Towhee
7. Black-capped Chickadee
8. Black-and-white Warbler**
9. Gray Catbird
10. Veery
11. American Redstart**
12. Ruffed Grouse
13. American Crow*
14. American Goldfinch (v)
15. Blue Jay (v)
16. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v)
17. Wood Thrush (v)
18. Herring Gull* (v)
19. Song Sparrow**
20. Yellow Warbler** (v)
21. Brown-headed Cowbird
22. Savannah Sparrow
23. Pileated Woodpecker
24. House Finch (v)
25. Northern Cardinal**
26. Greater Yellowlegs (v)
27. Hermit Thrush (v)
28. Black-throated Blue Warbler (v)
29. Broad-winged Hawk
30. Mallard
31. Northern Parula (v)
32. Eastern Phoebe
33. Tufted Titmouse** (v)
Elsewhere
34. House Sparrow (v)
35. Laughing Gull (v)
36. Bald Eagle
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, bald eagle, black-capped chickadee, black-throated blue warbler, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, blue-headed vireo, broad-winged hawk, brown-headed cowbird, chestnut-sided warbler, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, greater yellowlegs, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, laughing gull, mallard, northern cardinal, northern parula, ovenbird, pileated woodpecker, ray catbird, rose-breasted grosbeak, ruffed grouse, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, veery, wood thrush, yellow warbler
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
Thursday, May 15th, 2014
 Magnolia Warbler. Up early. Overcast again but not as cool as yesterday, nor as windy. Quite a few bird voices at Beech Hill, but few outright sightings at first—too dim again for very photos. Lots of warbler on the list, though, as you might expect for mid-May—ten, in fact. It was a quick hike. Flushed a partridge, heard two Rose-breasted Grosbeaks.
 White-breasted Nuthatch. Did some errands, then drove to a Coastal Mountains Land Trust volunteers get-together in Camden. The sky remained clear, but the temp had dipped with the end of the day. En route, I watched a Peregrine Falcon sail off out into Rockport Harbor.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6 a.m., I hiked all trails (then, at 2 p.m, I hiked the open trail).
1. Tufted Titmouse (v)
2. Ovenbird**
3. Common Yellowthroat**
4. Chestnut-sided Warbler**
5. Blue-headed Vireo** (v)
6. Black-throated Green Warbler**
7. Black-and-white Warbler**
8. Eastern Towhee**
9. Veery (v)
10. American Robin*
11. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v)
12. Gray Catbird**
13. American Goldfinch*
14. American Redstart**
15. Black-capped Chickadee
16. Ruffed Grouse (flushed)
17. Hairy Woodpecker
18. American Crow*
19. Mourning Dove* (v)
20. Nashville Warbler** (v)
21. Brown-headed Cowbird
22. Song Sparrow**
23. Blue Jay** (v)
24. Eastern Phoebe
25. Savannah Sparrow
26. Wood Thrush (v)
27. Yellow Warbler**
28. White-throated Sparrow (v)
29. Magnolia Warbler†
30. Least Flycatcher
31. Northern Cardinal (v)
32. House Finch** (v)
33. Yellow-rumped Warbler
34. Hermit Thrush (v)
Elsewhere
35. House Sparrow
36. Herring Gull
37. White-breasted Nuthatch
38. Laughing Gull (v)
39. Double-crested Cormorant
40. Rock Pigeon
41. European Starling
42. Peregrine Falcon
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, blue-headed vireo, brown-headed cowbird, chestnut-sided warbler, common yellowthroat, double-crested cormorant, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, European starling, gray catbird, hairy woodpecker, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, laughing gull, least flycatcher, magnolia warbler, mourning dove, Nashville warbler, northern cardinal, ovenbird, peregrine falcon, rock pigeon, rose-breasted grosbeak, ruffed grouse, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, veery, white-breasted nuthatch, white-throated sparrow, wood thrush, yellow warbler, yellow-rumped warbler
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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