Cold and wet morning. Forties (F) and drippy from some overnight precip. Didn’t expect much in the way of birds or photos—but, as often happens, I was pleasantly surprised.
First were all the warblers flitting silently through the leafing-out hardwoods. (Sure enough not a lot of singing going on.) Next came some nice surprises at the misty summit: activity in the spruce grove including a Least Flycatcher, a Yellow Warbler, A Magnolia Warbler, a Wilson’s Warbler—and a first-of-preserve Lincoln’s Sparrow. Pretty sure that was the first of the species I had to ID on my own, in fact.
Sweet.
In all, thirty-six species on a drippy, gray day. I’ll take it.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. American Robin* (v) 2. Ovenbird 3. Black-throated Green Warbler 4. American Goldfinch (v) 5. Chestnut-sided Warbler (v) 6. Hairy Woodpecker 7. American Redstart (v) 8. Veery (v) 9. Gray Catbird (v) 10. Northern Cardinal (v) 11. Herring Gull* (v) 12. Eastern Towhee 13. Rose-breasted Grosbeak* 14. Common Yellowthroat (v) 15. Hermit Thrush (v) 16. Northern Parula (v) 17. Yellow Warbler** 18. Song Sparrow** 19. Eastern Phoebe* (v) 20. Tree Swallow 21. Field Sparrow (v) 22. American Crow (v) 23. Blue Jay (v) 24. Cedar Waxwing 25. Lincoln’s Sparrow† 26. Magnolia Warbler 27. Least Flycatcher 28. Scarlet Tanager (v) 29. Wilson’s Warbler 30. Red-eyed Vireo 31. Northern Flicker (v) 32. Purple Finch (v) 33. Wood Thrush (v) 34. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 35. Black-and-white Warbler (v) 36. Common Raven (v)
Elsewhere
37. House Finch 38. Chipping Sparrow
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year bird.
A bright chilly morning. Started slow, but soon enough warmed enough to set free some black flies, and the birds appeared slowly and steadily. My one first-of-year species I didn’t notice until I looked at photos (a Wilson’s Warbler vs a Yellow Warbler)—but lots of variety.
Blue Jays were conspicuous, others inconspicuous. A few quiet birds snuck onto the list (e.g., kingbirds, waxwings, Blackburnian warbler), a few noisy ones returned (e.g., Great Crested Flycatcher). No cuckoos today.
In a surprise twist, I took a dramatic tumble off a boardwalk, but no damage done to my person or optics, and Jack was amused.
All in all, another day of fun.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:45 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo 2. Ovenbird 3. Blue Jay 4. Chestnut-sided Warbler 5. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 6. Veery 7. Hairy Woodpecker 8. Common Yellowthroat 9. Gray Catbird** 10. Wood Thrush (v) 11. Eastern Towhee 12. Yellow Warbler (v) 13. American Redstart 14. American Goldfinch** 15. Tufted Titmouse (v) 16. Scarlet Tanager 17. American Crow* 18. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 19. Downy Woodpecker (v) 20. Song Sparrow** 21. Great Crested Flycatcher (v) 22. Purple Finch (v) 23. Tree Swallow 24. Alder Flycatcher 25. Eastern Kingbird 26. Cedar Waxwing 27. Field Sparrow (v) 28. Ruby-throated Hummingbird 29. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v) 30. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 31. Hermit Thrush (v) 32. Black-and-white Warbler (v) 33. Least Flycatcher (v) 34. Northern Flicker (v) 35. Mourning Dove (v) 36. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 37. Northern Parula (v) 38. Wilson’s Warbler† 39. Blackburnian Warbler
Elsewhere
40. House Finch (v) 41. Herring Gull 42. Bald Eagle
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year bird
Thick fog this morning, but it burned off by the time we got to the trailhead. And it turned out to be the best birding day of spring so far. Dozens of species, good looks, nice variety—but I forgot to turn on my GoPro.
Good hike though: first-of-year Maggie warb, decent photos. Fun and fruitful anyway.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:45 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
