It’s that time of year when the new foliage has somehow, miraculously, gone from buds to half-full-blown canopy, when warblers sing from every twig, when first-of-year migrating species seem to appear every day (Eastern Kingbird today). And Chestnut-sided Warblers at Beech Hill Preserve—many of them. So many I’m tempted to proclaim them the most abundant nesting species on the hill.
And other birders. (Jack and I had a nice hike up with one this morning.)
And photos. A time of photos.
Here are a few.
Northern Flicker.
Black-and-white Warbler.
Eastern Towhee.
Red-tailed Hawk.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7 a.m., I hiked all trails.
Up early, to Beech Hill right away, found it cold and foggy. Birds were about—but I heard sixteen species before I saw a single one. Eventually, the daylight brightened a little (still overcast), and I got decent looks at most of the species on today’s list. Bad auto-focus on my squeaky old camera, though, cost me dead-on shots of a Swainson’s Thrush and a Northern Parula.
Oh, well. I got me a sweet female Black-and-white Warbler.
Also ran into some birding friends coming up the other trail. Funnily, we were observing the same singing Rose-breasted Grosbeak from different sides of the tree. Got a little video of the grosbeak.
Also heard a first-of-year Yellow Warbler today—but not yet at Beech Hill. This one was singing across the road from my place later on a day turned warm.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 6:30 a.m., I hiked all trails.
An early morning, a flood of good birds. For whatever reason—a convergence of the season, meteorological conditions, and just the miracle of the universe—a bunch of new species showed up. Thirty-seven species, eleven of them warblers (three of those first-of-year birds), a first-of-year Veery, video of a pair of crows harassing a raven, video of a singing Northern Parula. Two-plus hours of hiking with my good dog Jack.
