A nearly cloudless sky this morning, with temperatures below freezing to start. The trails weren’t muddy headed up the hill, but a bit greasy headed down. In the interim, I managed to spy two dozen bird species—and get a single photo of a gray ghost. That right there sorta made my day.
But it was also nice to run into human and dog friends, and to see that the Beech Nut phoebe has returned. (Another eagle today also.)
Wonder what Easter Sunday will bring.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 6:18 a.m. real time (7:18 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Tufted Titmouse** (v) 2. Brown Creeper 3. American Goldfinch** 4. American Crow* 5. Downy Woodpecker 6. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 7. Northern Cardinal** (v) 8. Eastern Bluebird 9. Blue Jay** (v) 10. Black-capped Chickadee** 11. American Robin* 12. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 13. Song Sparrow** 14. Eastern Phoebe** 15. Hairy Woodpecker 16. Yellow-rumped Warbler 17 Northern Harrier 18. Herring Gull* 19. Turkey Vulture 20. Bald Eagle 21. Dark-eyed Junco (v) 22. Common Raven 23. Common Grackle 24. Ruffed Grouse (drumming)
Elsewhere
25. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v)
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
The sky was blue, the air was warm, the wind was high, the trail was dryer than it’s been in a while—and the overall feeling was one of spring.
And by golly, the birds showed up. A year-so-far record of 28 species, including eagles, a harrier, kestrels, a red-tail, a flushed grouse, three woodpecker species—I could go on and on.
The coming weeks will fly by, and then the months, yet I hope to slow myself down to soak ’em right up. (Also took my bike in for a tuneup.)
P.S. First deer tick today, too.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 6:27 a.m. real time (7:27 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. American Crow* 2. Northern Cardinal** (v) 3. Black-capped Chickadee* 4. Brown Creeper (v) 5. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 6. Downy Woodpecker** (v) 7. Tufted Titmouse** 8. Red-winged Blackbird 9. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (drumming) 10. American Goldfinch 11. Ruffed Grouse 12. Pileated Woodpecker (v) 13. American Robin* 14. Eastern Bluebird 15. Herring Gull* 16. Blue Jay (v) 17. Golden-crowned Kinglet 18. Song Sparrow** 19. Common Loon 20. American Kestrel 21. Turkey Vulture 22. Wild Turkey* 23. Eastern Phoebe** (v) 24. Bald Eagle 25. Red-tailed Hawk 26. Northern Harrier 27. Canada Goose 28. Snow Bunting
Elsewhere
29. Mallard
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
This morning’s sky was overcast, and the air had wind and a chill. Becuase of those conditions, I didn’t expect many birds, but I was pleasantly wrong.
Most notable would be a pair of eagles flying over early on and the first chipmunk in a while and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker drumming down in the woods and a flushed woodcock. And then, back home, a first-of-year phoebe perched on a twig by the house, flicking its tail.
I had the distinct feeling today that spring migration is all wound up and ready to go. Looking forward to my hike with dog in the morning (after tonight’s rain).
Beech Hill List Beginning at 6:51 a.m. real time (7:51 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. American Crow* 2. Song Sparrow* (v) 3. Tufted Titmouse (v) 4. Black-capped Chickadee* 5. Bald Eagle 6. American Goldfinch (v) 7. Herring Gull* 8. American Kestrel 9. Dark-eyed Junco* (v) 10. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker† (v) 11. American Woodcock 12. Pine Siskin (v) 13. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 14. Downy Woodpecker* (v) 15. Northern Cardinal** (v)
Elsewhere
16. Wild Turkey 17. Mourning Dove 18. Eastern Phoebe†
Mammals
Eastern Chipmunk
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
