Another morning much like yesterday’s—although we hiked earlier, and the temperature was slightly higher, and the fog was quite a bit thicker. (Not as drippy, though.) And my list has the most bird species of any after my return to Maine.
The only first-of-year species was a Winter Wren I heard down along the wooded trail (where I used to hear a few).
But for some reason, this one involved focus on two vireo species: red-eyed and blue-headed. They both sang a lot, both posed for (dim, grainy-ish) photos. And I realized—even thinking back to a couple species in Utah—how much I dig vireos.
Might be a few thundershowers tonight, and then a sunnier day tomorrow.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:49 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 2. Chestnut-sided Warbler 3. Red-eyed Vireo** 4. Ovenbird 5. Northern Parula** 6. Common Yellowthroat 7. Gray Catbird** 8. Northern Flicker (v) 9. Song Sparrow 10. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 11. Eastern Wood-pewee 12. Veery 13. Tufted Titmouse** (v) 14. Northern Cardinal** (v) 15. American Crow* (v) 16. Hairy Woodpecker 17. Black-and-white Warbler 18. Wood Thrush (v) 19. American Redstart* (v) 20. Eastern Bluebird 21. Blue-headed Vireo 22. Winter Wren† (v) 23. Alder Flycatcher (v) 24. Yellow Warbler 25. Eastern Towhee 26. Ruby-throated Hummingbird 27. American Goldfinch** (v) 28. Prairie Warbler (v) 29. Field Sparrow 30. Black-capped Chickadee* 31. Chipping Sparrow** 32. Common Raven (v) 33. American Robin 34. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v) 35. Eastern Phoebe* 36. Blue Jay (v) 37. Common Loon 38 Nashville Warbler (v) 39. Tree Swallow 40. Ruffed Grouse (booming)
An overcast morning, calm and cool. Birds weren’t particularly vocal, so I wondered if the atmospheric conditions might keep this morning’s numbers down—but it turned out they were flitting all over the place.
Notable was a sapsucker that popped up as I was angling for photos of (I believe) a hummingbird. Three thrushes, nine warblers, two birds posing with nesting materials in their beaks (catbird and robin). One of the thrushes was a Prairie Warbler.
No first-of-years, but dog and I didn’t mind.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:05 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo** (v) 2. Chestnut-sided Warbler** 3. Ovenbird** 4. Black-throated Green Warbler* (v) 5. American Crow* 6. Northern Parula (v) 7. Northern Cardinal (v) 8. Gray Catbird 9. Black-capped Chickadee 10. Great Crested Flycatcher (v) 11. Veery (v) 12. American Goldfinch* 13. American Redstart (v) 14. Eastern Towhee 15. Ruby-throated Hummingbird 16. Black-and-white Warbler 17. Common Yellowthroat (v) 18. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 19. Blue Jay 20. Hermit Thrush 21. Tufted Titmouse** 22. Song Sparrow* 23. Yellow Warbler (v) 24. Common Raven 25. Field Sparrow 26. Eastern Phoebe* (v) 27. Prairie Warbler 28. Tree Swallow 29. American Robin 30. Savannah Sparrow 31. Nashville Warbler 32. Wood Thrush (v) 33. Eastern Bluebird
A second straight windy morning greeted dog and me as we hit the trail—but even windier. Chilly air from the northwest was a-waggin’ the young, leafing-out hardwoods around and making it tough for birds to perch on high. Plus, listening was often a challenge.
Nonetheless, I somehow managed to tally up thirty species on today’s list—including three first-of-year birds.
FOYs are of course fun sightings for avid birders: the after many months away, the old familiar has returned. I’ve had FOY birds just about every day for a week, I bet. And I didn’t even realize I had three today until I viewed my photos, when what I thought was a Red-eyed-Vireo turned out to be a Tennessee Warbler.
Crow dive-bombing a raven, bluebirds taking over the tree swallow box, first-of-year wood-pewee delivering my favorite sound of summer.
Summer will be here before you know it.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:12 a.m., I hiked most trails.
