A cool, sunny morning. Got to the trail early, heard more birds than I saw. Still a bit nippy for a lot of activity—plus, nesting’s going on now. Did spy a kingbird near the summit.
Phoebes are nesting in Beech Nut after all.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Ovenbird** 2. Red-eyed Vireo** (v) 3. Common Yellowthroat** 4. Black-capped Chickadee** 5. American Robin* (v) 6. Hairy Woodpecker (v) 7. Chestnut-sided Warbler 8. Blue Jay (v) 9. Gray Catbird** 10. American Redstart 11. Veery 12. Eastern Wood-pewee 13. Rose-breasted Grosbeak** 14. Black-and-white Warbler* 15. Eastern Towhee 16. Mourning Dove* (v) 17. Great Crested Flycatcher 18. Alder Flycatcher 19. Pileated Woodpecker (v) 20. Nashville Warbler (v) 21. Field Sparrow (v) 22. Song Sparrow (v) 23. Tree Swallow (v) 24. Chipping Sparrow 25. Eastern Phoebe 26. Eastern Kingbird 27. American Crow 28. Northern Cardinal 29. Tufted Titmouse 30. White-breasted Nuthatch 31. Scarlet Tanager 32. Hermit Thrush 33. Least Flycatcher
Elsewhere
34. House Finch (v) 35. Herring Gull 36. House Sparrow
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
I’m not sure I mention often enough how much I appreciate Veeries. These little burnt-orange-backed thrushes arrive a little late, but arrive they do, to deliver their familiar Veeyur! alarm notes and their cascading fountains of song.
They also seem more friendly than the other woodland thrushes, tending to stick to the trails, hopping along in front of dog and me just around the next curve.
I love all thrushes, of course, have learned their songs and clucks and other sounds. Veeries, though, are highly underrated.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8 a.m., I hiked all trails.
