The early morning air was warm, the sky was mostly overcast, there was a bit of breeze. There would be birds—but rather subdued birds, secretive birds, returning or nesting or foraging. And there were a bunch.
Most notable were three Palm Warblers—first-of-year birds—that I happened to hear, then see. Only one posed for a half-way decent photo.
Toward the end of my hike with dog, a raven flew over, moving fast avoiding a dive-bombing crow.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 6:26 a.m. real time (7:26 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Song Sparrow* 2. American Robin* 3. Eastern Phoebe** 4. Northern Cardinal** (v) 5. American Goldfinch (v) 6. Tufted Titmouse (v) 7. Blue Jay** 8. Black-capped Chickadee** 9. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 10. Red-winged Blackbird (v) 11. Brown Creeper 12. Eastern Bluebird 13. American Crow* 14. Palm Warbler† 15. Downy Woodpecker** (v) 16. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 17. Herring Gull* (v) 18. Yellow-rumped Warbler 19. Northern Flicker** 20. Brown-headed Cowbird 21. Hairy Woodpecker 22. American Kestrel 23. Common Raven
Elsewhere
24. House Sparrow
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
What a morning. Chilly to start, with a little breeze, but absolutely cloudless (rare her on the coast of Maine), and really interesting birdwise.
First-of-year note: A flock of about thirty Cedar Waxwings flew right by us, but I accidentally turned off my camera and so missed ’em. However, I did get a photo of one of many Yellow-rumped Warblers that were moving through—several of them singing.
Within a few days, I expect to see a Palm Warbler—and other incoming species.
Fun time of year!
Beech Hill List Beginning at 6:26 a.m. real time (7:26 DST), I hiked all trails.
What a lovely morning! Clear and freezing to start, but not too much wind and warming fast. Two first-of-year species (Hermit Thrush and Brown-headed Cowbird), and a nice run-in with a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker doing its signature syncopated drumming on a particularly resonant trunk.
Harrier, bluebirds, robins, grouse, kinglet. Twenty-six species today—but those numbers will rise soon enough.
Every morning’s like a birthday.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 6:16 a.m. real time (7:16 DST), I hiked all trails—and then some.
1. Tufted Titmouse** 2. American Goldfinch** 3. Black-capped Chickadee** 4. Eastern Phoebe* 5. Brown Creeper 6. Blue Jay (v) 7. American Crow* 8. Northern Cardinal* (v) 9. American Robin* 10. Eastern Bluebird 11. Hairy Woodpecker 12. Downy Woodpecker 13. White-breasted Nuthatch 14. Ruffed Grouse 15. Golden-crowned Kinglet 16. Pileated Woodpecker 17. Song Sparrow 18. Pine Siskin (v) 19. Red-winged Blackbird 20. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 21. Mourning Dove 22. Hermit Thrush 23. Brown-headed Cowbird 24. Red-breasted Nuthatch 25. Northern Harrier 26. Herring Gull
