Monhegan Island.
Song sparrow again this morning. Also chickadees, titmice, house finch, crows. Also a crust of snow on the ground from last night’s flurries. Chilly again, too—not exactly what the weather folks forecast. But that’s OK.
Eastern bluebird.
Anyway, I had a lot of desk work to do. Didn’t get up and out until nearly 5 o’clock (4 o’clock regular time). Overcast and cool and damp—but plenty of town birds about. (Herring and ring-billed gulls, pigeons and starlings.) Jack and I got to Beech Hill later than we had so far this year. Still plenty of daylight, though.
Again, we were alone on the hill. Again, chickadees at the parking lot—and also the thin, three-note call of a golden-crowned kinglet, which was a nice surprise. No harrier on the hill today, but crows all over the place. A think line of clearing appeared along the southern horizon, where Monhegan loomed off beyond Chickawaukie Lake amid an orange haze. And from the summit, I happened to be watching as a cloud of gulls rose down toward the little cow farm near Route 1.
Returning along the soft track—not quite as muddy as yesterday—I noticed a budding pussy willow with clear evidence of harvesting. Two twigs had been ripped off by hand. Guess there’s always someone out there who’s gonna yoink the pretty growing things.
I heard them first. We stopped. And there they were, three bluebirds settling down at the edge of the trail, two males and a female. I tried for telephotos, but the light was too dim for anything decent. Still, it was nice to stand and watch them poke around, flutter up onto the little trailside posts, and finally dash away down the southern slope, emitting their little fluty notes as they flew.
Ravaged pussy willow.
On our way home, I spied mourning doves on the utility lines. Doves have a fondness for wires.
And tonight, another woodcock serenade.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 5:30 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Black-capped chickadee
2. Golden-crowned kinglet (voice)
3. American crow
4. Herring gull
5. Eastern bluebird
Elsewhere
6. House finch
7. Song sparrow
8. Tufted titmouse
9. Rock pigeon
10. Ring-billed gull
11 European starling
12. Mourning dove
