I do love an overcast day. I love a sunny day, too, of course—but a cool overcast like this morning’s makes for a luscious change-of-pace. Just the feeling of a protective roof over your head, preventing you from astral projection into the endlessness of space. Or something like that.
Anyway, dog and I had a real nice hike, with some pretty cool birds, to boot. Most notably, we flushed two American Woodcocks, and the cry of a Blue Jay alerted me to a Broad-winged Hawk flyby. Even got a teeny little glimpse of a singing male Scarlet Tanager way up in the leafy green canopy.
Was supposed to be raining during our usual hike time, but no—and apparently won’t be tomorrow either. But the forecast calls for another sweetly cloudy morn.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:30 a.m. sun time (8:30 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo** (v) 2. Eastern Phoebe 3. Song Sparrow** 4. American Redstart** (v) 5. Ovenbird** 6. Black-and-white Warbler 7. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 8. Chestnut-sided Warbler** 9. Black-throated Green Warbler** (v) 10. Blue Jay 11. Eastern Towhee** 12. Veery (v) 13. Scarlet Tanager 14. Broad-winged Hawk 15. Gray Catbird** 16. American Woodcock 17. Common Yellowthroat (v) 18. Alder Flycatcher (v) 19. Tufted Titmouse (v) 20. Turkey Vulture 21. Field Sparrow 22. Yellow Warbler (v) 23. Eastern Bluebird 24. American Crow* 25. American Goldfinch** (v) 26. Northern Cardinal* (v) 27. Black-capped Chickadee 28. Hermit Thrush (v)
Elsewhere
29. Mallard 30. Herring Gull
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Went to bed last night thinking dog and I would have to hike in sprinkles for the second straight day, but no. A simple, misty overcast greeted us when we arrived at the trailhead—a couple hours earlier than yesterday. And nearly twice as many bird species showed up.
Notable was a singing Veery (seen), two singing Scarlet Tanagers (unseen), a random flicker (unseen), and confirmation that the juvie Hairy Woodpeckers have left their nest hole.
Truly a lovely overcast, this one. Tomorrow’s supposed be showery.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:30 a.m. sun time (8:30 DST), I hiked all trails.
Had a thundershower overnight—one bolt of lightning struck a couple-three hundred yards away, startling my nearly deaf dog—and a steady light rain was in the forecast for today. But the light rain held off, which left Captain Jack and me with a chilly (upper-40s° F), breezy, deep blue-and-green sort of Beech Hill hike.
That’s right, Jack got back on the hill this morning, having descended a couple portable steps out of the truck instead of leaping too far down for his 15-year-old limbs. He was obviously happy to be there.
Wasn’t expecting many birds but got a nice number of species. Also photos—my favorite being a Veery that posed nicely down along the wooded trail.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 6:31 a.m. sun time (7:31 DST), I hiked all trails—and then some.
1. Eastern Phoebe 2. Red-eyed Vireo** (v) 3. American Redstart (v) 4. Ovenbird** (v) 5. Northern Cardinal 6. Tufted Titmouse (v) 7. Chestnut-sided Warbler (v) 8. Song Sparrow 9. American Crow 10. Black-and-white Warbler (v) 11. Northern Parula (v) 12. American Robin 13. Herring Gull* 14. Eastern Towhee 15. Field Sparrow 16. Turkey Vulture 17. Alder Flycatcher (v) 18. Hairy Woodpecker 19. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 20. Veery 21. Gray Catbird** (v) 22. Common Yellowthroat (v) 23. Chipping Sparrow 24. Mourning Dove 25. Yellow Warbler (v)
Elsewhere
26. Mallard 27. Wild Turkey
Mammals
White-tailed Deer
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
