|
|
 |
|
|
Posts Tagged ‘black-billed cuckoo’
Saturday, July 6th, 2013
 Savannah sparrow. Another lovely, warm, sunny, muggy day. The wooded Beech Hill Preserve trails—which Jack and I hiked early—were humming with deer flies and skeeters and other buzzing things. Speaking of buzzing things—I heard both black-throated green and black-throated blue warblers. Also two dueling tanagers. And the particular, familiar-voiced hermit thrush (after hearing none yesterday).
 Wood lily. At the summit, I chatted with a pair of fellow birders from New Jersey, which was fun. Exchanged friendly words with a few others, too, who took advantage of the hilltop breeze.
The highlight of today’s visit, though, was a black-billed cuckoo’s quick flight over the open trail—its long, sleek form crossed low in front of us, and it appeared to have a caterpillar in its beak.
This afternoon, I rode my bike eighteen miles or so. Had to change a flat tire, but that’s OK—it gave me an excuse to buy a ginger beer at Fresh Off the Farm. Then I decided to hit Megunticook Market for a Maine Beer Company brew as a reward for my long, warm ride. The checkout clerk gave me a high-five.
And on the way home, coming through Alderemere Farm, I heard a red-winged blackbird at the shores of Lily Pond.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 8 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Chestnut-sided warbler
2. Ovenbird** (v)
3. Red-eyed vireo**
4. Black-throated green warbler (v)
5. Common yellowthroat**
6. Gray catbird**
7. American crow* (v)
8. Veery (v)
9. Common raven (v)
10. American goldfinch*
11. Black-and-white warbler**
12. Mourning dove* (v)
13. Eastern wood-pewee
14. Eastern towhee
15. American robin
16. Blue jay (v)
17. Black-capped chickadee (v)
18. Alder flycatcher (v)
19. Yellow warbler**
20. Red-breasted nuthatch (v)
21. Savannah sparrow
22. House finch*
23. Field sparrow (v)
24. Song sparrow**
25. Cedar waxwing
26. Chipping sparrow**
27. American redstart** (v)
28. Broad-winged hawk (v)
29. Eastern bluebird (v)
30. Black-billed cuckoo
31. Scarlet tanager (v)
32. Hermit thrush (v)
33. Hairy woodpecker**
34. White-breasted nuthatch
35. Black-throated blue warbler (v)
36. Northern flicker**
Elsewhere
37. Herring gull
38. Rock pigeon
39. Red-winged blackbird (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-billed cuckoo, black-capped chickadee, black-throated blue warbler, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, broad-winged hawk, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common raven, common yellowthroat, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, field sparrow, gray catbird, hairy woodpecker, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, mourning dove, northern flicker, ovenbird, red-breasted nuthatch, red-eyed vireo, red-winged blackbird, rock pigeon, savannah sparrow, scarlet tanager, song sparrow, veery, white-breasted nuthatch, yellow warbler
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
Friday, July 5th, 2013
 Ovenbird. Another warm one. Another really nice summer hike with dog. Highlights were the voices of two tanagers, one cuckoo, and angry ovenbirds. Also had a flyover from a juvenile broad-wing. And had a few nice chats with actual humans.
 Spider. Later in afternoon, I road my bike around again. On the Rockland waterfront, two or three ospreys soared above me, squealing.
Tonight we just got missed by a thundershower. A little rain fell, though. Might make things slightly cooler.
Although, truly, things are kind of cool already.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 8:15 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Ovenbird
2. Red-eyed vireo**
3. Black-throated green warbler (v)
4. Common yellowthroat**
5. Veery**
6. Black-capped chickadee
7. Eastern towhee
8. American goldfinch**
9. Black-and-white warbler
10. Eastern wood-pewee (v)
11. American crow* (v)
12. Common raven (v)
13. Mourning dove* (v)
14. Scarlet tanager (v)
15. Hairy woodpecker (v)
16. Blue jay (v)
17. American robin
18. Northern flicker (v)
19. Great crested flycatcher (v)
20. Hermit thrush
21. Alder flycatcher
22. Gray catbird**
23. Savannah sparrow
24. Yellow warbler**
25. Song sparrow**
26. House finch**
27. Cedar waxwing**
28. Black-billed cuckoo (v)
29. Broad-winged hawk (juvenile)
30. Chipping sparrow**
31. American redstart** (v)
32. Northern cardinal** (v)
Elsewhere
33. Eastern phoebe (v)
34. Herring gull
35. European starling
36. Rock pigeon
37. House sparrow (v)
38. Osprey
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-billed cuckoo, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, broad-winged hawk, Cedar waxwing, chipping sparrow, common raven, common yellowthroat, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, gray catbird, great crested flycatcher, hairy woodpecker, hermit thrush, house finch, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern flicker, ovenbird, red-eyed vireo, savannah sparrow, scarlet tanager, song sparrow, veery, yellow warbler
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 26th, 2013
 Eastern bluebird. I love the woods. Just love to be in a forest or woodland, out among the trees. I have loved it for as long as I can remember—or, more particularly, since I was an impressionable nine- or ten-year-old, when my family moved to Durham, North Carolina, and bought a house whose backyard ended in a small section of piny wilderness. This corresponded with my first steps away by myself, my first solo excursions, still near enough to home to return in a hurry. I loved walking through the woods back there, loved the smell, the dimness, the lumps and shapes and vines undergrowth and frogs and snakes and sap-sticky pines. I loved to shimmy up those pines—and even named a tree with double trunks “The Twin Angels.” My parents had long since given up on making me and my sister go to Sunday School, and so the woods became my rightful church. Quiet, mysterious, a place to worship the miracle of life on a tilted planet.
 Hermit thrush (immature). Don’t you be talking too loudly when deep in the woods, because it’s still church for me.
Today began with rain and brightened briefly before turning overcast again. I had early work to do, so Jack and I didn’t make it to Beech hill until mid-afternoon, and by that time, a misty fog was rolling in. I decided to take the lower wooded trail to the summit—the darkest trail, with the tallest trees, most like the inside of a cathedral.
Right away I heard the miraculous song of a hermit thrush—and even saw the singing bird.
Soon after, as I’d stopped to scan for a calling a redstart, a female black-and-white warbler flitted to a branch so near that I couldn’t focus my camera on her. What a lovely, silent bird.
Also got a look at a speckled young thrush whose identity I’m still not sure of.
As we left the woods for the open fields, the mist began to rise, and my birding became a matter of listening. Heard another cuckoo. Heard yellowthroats, alder flycatchers, waxwings. Down toward the road, I got a good glimpse of a bluebird.
Returning through the woods we surprised a family of downy woodpeckers. I believe one was a youngster, and its mother was not amused.
 Wild rose. It began to rain a little when we arrived back at the truck. But it didn’t really start coming down until we were driving home.
Just another perfect day.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 2:30 p.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Red-eyed vireo** (v)
2. Common yellowthroat**
3. Ovenbird
4. Black-throated green warbler (v)
5. Great crested flycatcher (v)
6. Veery
7. Hermit thrush**
8. American goldfinch (v)
9. Chestnut-sided warbler**
10. Black-and-white warbler
11. American crow* (v)
12. Gray catbird**
13. Eastern towhee
14. Eastern wood-pewee (v)
15. Black-capped chickadee (v)
16. American redstart (v)
17. Blackburnian warbler
18. Gray catbird**
19. Eastern phoebe** (v)
20. Cedar waxwing
21. House finch (v)
22. Savannah sparrow
23. Yellow warbler** (v)
24. Alder flycatcher (v)
25. Field sparrow (v)
26. Black-billed cuckoo (v)
27. American robin** (v)
28. Blue jay** (v)
29. Chipping sparrow (v)
30. Purple finch (v)
31. Eastern bluebird
32. Song sparrow**
33. Tufted titmouse (v)
34. Northern flicker
35. Downy woodpecker
Elsewhere
36. Herring gull
37. Northern cardinal (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-billed cuckoo, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, blackburnian warbler, blue jay, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat, downy woodpecker, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, field sparrow, gray catbird, great crested flycatcher, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, northern cardinal, northern flicker, ovenbird, purple finch, red-eyed vireo, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, veery, yellow warbler
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
|
|
| |
| Bird Report is a (sometimes intermittent) record of the birds I encounter while hiking, see while driving, or spy outside my window. —Brian Willson |
|
|
