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Posts Tagged ‘black-billed cuckoo’
Sunday, June 2nd, 2013
 Cedar waxwing. Not quite so warm today, but still muggy, and with seemingly more mosquitoes at Beech Hill. Also more cuckoos. I heard two calling at once: one at some distance, and one very near uttering a repeated one-note call of alarm (I assume), and I tried stalking the near one—walking very slowly, keeping Jack behind me—but they’re stealthy, skulk about in thick greenery, and are quick to take flight. I got a look at this one, at least, as it flew away from us down the trail toward the other, and began again to sound the alarm.
 American redstart. Plenty of other birds, mostly singing from fixed perches near nest sites, or passing quickly through—like a couple packs of waxwings I saw above the open fields. Plenty of flycatchers, which makes sense when you consider all the mosquitoes and black flies still buzzing about. (Saw a few dragonflies, too, and more butterflies.) Pewee, phoebe, alder flycatcher, great crested flycatcher. I heard a great crested out back of my place later in the day, in fact, and my hope is it’ll stick around in the great open area surrounded by the green foliage of tall oaks. I’d like to get a decent photo of this handsome bird.
Back on the hill, I noticed, too, there seems to be a minor tent-caterpillar infestation. Many folks think their bright webs unattractive and bad for plant life and would just as soon they disappear. I think how cuckoos like dining on tent caterpillars and so am happy they’re around. My best bet, come to think of it, might be to stand still for a while near a few of the webs and wait for a black-billed cuckoo to come along.
Because one thing’s for sure: you can’t stalk a cuckoo.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7:45 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Ovenbird** (v)
2. Wild turkey (v)
3. Red-eyed vireo**
4. Chestnut-sided warbler**
5. Black-throated green warbler** (v)
6. Hermit thrush (v)
7. American goldfinch
8. Gray catbird**
9. Black-and-white warbler**
10. American robin*
11. Rose-breasted grosbeak (v)
12. American redstart**
13. Veery (v)
14. Eastern towhee
15. Black-billed cuckoo
16. Common yellowthroat**
17. Yellow warbler**
18. Alder flycatcher
19. Great crested flycatcher**
20. Mourning dove*
21. Eastern wood-pewee** (v)
22. American crow*
23. Field sparrow
24. Tufted titmouse** (v)
25. Eastern phoebe**
26. Song sparrow**
27. Nashville warbler (v)
28. Savannah sparrow
29. Chipping sparrow** (v)
30. Blue jay** (v)
31. Cedar waxwing
32. Red-tailed hawk
33. Hairy woodpecker
34. Black-throated blue warbler (v)
35. Scarlet tanager (v)
Elsewhere
36. House finch
37. Herring gull
38. Green heron†
39. European starling
40. Common grackle
41. Laughing gull (v)
42. Canada goose
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-billed cuckoo, black-throated blue warbler, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, Canada goose, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common grackle, common yellowthraot, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, European starling, field sparrow, gray catbird, great crested flycatcher, green heron, hairy woodpecker, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, laughing gull, mourning dove, Nashville warbler, ovenbird, red-eyed vireo, red-tailed hawk, rose-breasted grosbeak, savannah sparrow, scarlet tanager, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, veery, wild turkey, yellow warbler
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
Saturday, June 1st, 2013
 Veery. Up early, muggy and at least 70 degrees (F) already by the time dog and I got to Beech Hill. Plenty of birds, plenty of bugs. Not quite as much mud as yesterday—nor quite as many cuckoos calling. (I heard two.)
 Eastern wood-pewee. Heard another booming grouse. Encountered four or five pewees in the woods—including what appeared to be a mating pair—and heard another tanager. Saw a cormorant fly over. Saw waxwings for a change. (They’ve been scarce.) Heard that curious human-falsetto-like call of a raven.
Their behavior is changing, though—the birds’. They’re beginning to pair off and hunker down. Not so much flitting around, tending to sing from a stationary perch. Now the reward comes in recognition: recognizing the alder flycatcher that’s nesting down near the open trail (for, I think, the second straight spring); recognizing the voice of the hermit thrush in the woods; recognizing the phoebe at Beech Nut, and the new chipping sparrow holding forth in the spruces there. I know there will be redstarts near the Beech Hill Road parking lot. I know where there will be yellow warblers, yellowthroats, catbirds. I know the haunts of a certain black-throated blue.
While out on my bike this afternoon, I added a few big birds to my list—osprey, Canada goose, great blue heron—along with the regular townies. Heard first-of-year chimney swifts near Rockport Village. It was a nice, sweaty ride.
 Eastern towhee. For the first of June, it sure felt summery today. (Tonight it feels summery also.)
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 8 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Ovenbird** (v)
2. Red-eyed vireo**
3. Black-throated green warbler** (v)
4. Black-and-white warbler (v)
5. Gray catbird**
6. Chestnut-sided warbler** (v)
7. Hermit thrush (v)
8. Mourning dove
9. Eastern towhee
10. Veery**
11. American redstart**
12. Eastern wood-pewee**
13. Black-capped chickadee** (v)
14. Yellow warbler**
15. Alder flycatcher
16. Common yellowthroat**
17. American crow*
18. Blue jay** (v)
19. Field sparrow
20. American robin*
21. Chipping sparrow**
22. Eastern phoebe**
23. Savannah sparrow
25. Song sparrow
26. Cedar waxwing**
27. White-throated sparrow (v)
28. Nashville warbler (v)
29. Brown-headed cowbird (v)
30. Tufted titmouse** (v)
31. Double-crested cormorant
32. Black-billed cuckoo (v)
33. Ruffed grouse (booming)
34. Northern flicker (v)
35. Scarlet tanager (v)
36. Black-throated blue warbler (v)
37. Common raven (v)
Elsewhere
38. House finch
39. Northern cardinal
40. Herring gull
41. European starling
42. Common grackle
43. Rock pigeon
44. House sparrow
45. Sharp-shinned hawk
46. Osprey
47. Laughing gull (v)
48. Chimney swift† (v)
49. Canada goose
50. Great blue heron
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-billed cuckoo, black-capped chickadee, black-throated blue warbler, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, brown-headed cowbird, Canada goose, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common grackle, common raven, common yellowthroat, double-crested cormorant, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, European starling, field sparrow, gray catbird, great blue heron, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, laughing gull, mourning dove, Nashville warbler, northern cardinal, northern flicker, osprey, ovenbird, red-eyed vireo, rock pigeon, ruffed grouse, savannah sparrow, scarlet tanager, sharp-shinned hawk, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, veery, white-throated sparrow, yellow warbler
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
Friday, May 31st, 2013
 Chestnut-sided warbler courtship. Well, the heat moved in. Very early, as Jack and I started up the wooded Beech Hill trail, it was already warm—70s (F), I bet. Not as many mosquitos as yesterday, but still many. Not as much mud, but mud. Not so many cuckoos, but I did actually catch sight of one today.
 Yellow warbler courtship. I also caught sight of a couple pair of courting warblers, both in the brushy field edge just below the summit. First a noisy pair of chestnut-sided warblers—well, the male was the noisy one—and then a pair of yellow warblers. Also heard a booming grouse very near. Also chasing ovenbirds. Singing cuckoos, of course. Nesting phoebes and robins. And another tanager calling down in the lower woodlands.
The heat rose. A pair of ospreys flew over.
This late-afternoon, I rode my bicycle around for a while, working up a good sweat. Just before the Route 1 turn toward Rockport Village, I heard insistent staccato cries and looked up to see a sharp-shinned hawk sort of gliding along above the trees. The temperature must’ve peaked at about 90 or so. Right now, tonight, it’s still pretty darn warm.
What a crazy, crazy May it’s been.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:45 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Ovenbird
2. Red-eyed vireo**
3. Black-throated green warbler** (v)
4. Chestnut-sided warbler**
5. American robin*
6. Veery**
7. American goldfinch** (v)
8. Common yellowthroat**
9. Gray catbird**
10. Eastern towhee
11. American redstart**
12. Black-capped chickadee** (v)
13. Ruffed grouse (booming)
14. Yellow warbler**
15. Mourning dove (v)
16. Alder flycatcher
17. Black-and-white warbler (v)
18. Eastern wood-pewee
19. Tufted titmouse** (v)
20. American crow*
21. Song sparrow**
22. Black-billed cuckoo
23. Chipping sparrow
24. Eastern phoebe**
25. Savannah sparrow
26. Blue jay
27. Field sparrow
28. Rose-breasted grosbeak (v)
29. Nashville warbler (v)
30. Purple finch (v)
31. Common raven
32. Osprey**
33. Hermit thrush (v)
34. Scarlet tanager (v)
Elsewhere
35. Herring gull
36. European starling
37. Laughing gull (v)
38. Rock pigeon
39. Common grackle
40. Sharp-shinned hawk
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-billed cuckoo, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common grackle, common raven, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, European starling, field sparrow, gray catbird, hermit thrush, herring gull, laughing gull, mourning dove, Nashville warbler, osprey, ovenbird, purple finch, rock pigeon, rose-breasted grosbeak, ruffed grouse, savannah sparrow, scarlet tanager, sharp-shinned hawk, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, veery, yellow warble
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
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| Bird Report is a (sometimes intermittent) record of the birds I encounter while hiking, see while driving, or spy outside my window. —Brian Willson |
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