This morning’s surprise? A pair of House Wrens showed up on the mountainside soon after the sun topped the peak. Other familiar birds showed up, too, but I did not expect the wrens.
It was a nice surprise.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 8:30 a.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up the mountain.
The first warm spring day of 2019. I mean, truly warm. Plenty of birds about—including a first-of-year House Wren in “my” birch tree. Flycatchers, another Swainson’s Thrush.
Looks like the hill will have no Savannah Sparrows, though, for the first year I can remember.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:30 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Ovenbird** (v) 2. American Redstart** 3. Black-and-white Warbler 4. Chestnut-sided Warbler** 5. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 6. Red-eyed Vireo** 7. American Goldfinch** 8. Gray Catbird* 9. Swainson’s Thrush 10. Hairy Woodpecker 11. Northern Parula** 12. Least Flycatcher** 13. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 14. Eastern Towhee 15. Common Yellowthroat *(v) 16. Yellow Warbler** 17. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 18. Wood Thrush* 19. Alder Flycatcher 20. Blue Jay* 21. Tree Swallow* 22. Broad-winged Hawk* 23. Purple Finch (v) 24. Eastern Phoebe** 25. Field Sparrow 26. American Crow* 27. Eastern Kingbird 28. Mourning Dove* 29. House Wren 30. Ruffed Grouse (drumming) 31. Song Sparrow** 32. Tufted Titmouse** (v) 33. Hermit Thrush (v) 34. Great Crested Flycatcher (v) 35. Northern Flicker (v) 36. Black-throated Blue Warbler (v)
Elsewhere
37. House Finch (v) 38. Wild Turkey 39. Herring Gull 40. Double-crested Cormorant 41. American Robin 42. European Starling 43. Chipping Sparrow (v) 44. Brown-headed Cowbird 45. Common Grackle
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Amazing birds moving about Beech Hill this morning—mostly skulking quietly in the foliage, occasionally calling or singing. I had a lot of fun aiming for (usually missing) nice photos. Young thrush, young towhees, hummingbird, oriole, several warblers, circling hawk.
Baltimore Oriole (juvie).
At the summit, I heard a chatter like that of the House Wren I saw a few days ago (same chatter I heard yesterday), and just assumed that’s what it was. Shortly after, a chattering bird flew up and perched in plain view about 20 feet away—an oriole. Since I’m neither wren nor oriole expert, I began to question myself. That is, until I got distracted by a loud jumbled song not far away.
Chased down the loud song but never got a good look at the bird—except that it was a small and nondescript. Only later, when I found the song online, did I realize I was right about the House Wren, after all.
My mission now is to learn the difference between the chatters of wren and oriole.
Broad-winged Hawk.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:45 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
