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Posts Tagged ‘ruffed grouse’
Sunday, May 17th, 2015
 Female Eastern Towhee. I dilly-dallied this morning, thinking I might even wait a little later to hike Beech Hill. That, on account of waking up about dawn and hearing rain out there. And having it be dark and overcast and foggy at first light. But Jack and I went anyway.
 Banded Black-and-white Warbler. Ended up seeing or hearing more birds than any other day this year. And about the time we were headed back, the sky had begun to clear. And I even got a long bike ride in—then mowed the lawn
Hummingbirds everywhere on the hill today. A first-of-year Blackpoll Warbler (singing). First-of-year Alder Flycatcher (ditto). And first-of-year Laughing Gulls (not at Beech Hill). Heard a booming Ruffed Grouse. Missed some good photos because of a crappy auto-focus—but then thought about how eventually I’ve come not to care so much. Just a muttered curse, and I move on.
Saw copulating Chipping Sparrows.
Oh, yeah—I did a photo of a banded Black-and-white Warbler (a female, carrying nesting materials). She was the first banded bird I’ve ever come across up there. Didn’t even notice the band until I looked at the photo.
All and all a groovy Sunday.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7:45 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. American Goldfinch**
2. Ovenbird**
3. Chestnut-sided Warbler**
4. Tufted Titmouse** (v)
5. American Robin*
6. Common Yellowthroat**
7. Black-throated Green Warbler** (v)
8. American Crow*
9. Black-and-white Warbler
10. Veery
11. Eastern Towhee
12. Black-capped Chickadee
13. American Redstart
14. Yellow Warbler**
15. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v)
16. Mourning Dove*
17. Mallard*
18. Common Raven
19. Gray Catbird**
20. Purple Finch (v)
21. Hermit Thrush (v)
22. Song Sparrow**
23. Herring Gull* (v)
24. Blue Jay
25. Eastern Phoebe**
26. Alder Flycatcher† (v)
27. Northern Cardinal (v)
28. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
29. Wild Turkey (v)
30. Ruffed Grouse (booming)
31. Wood Thrush (v)
32. Northern Flicker (v)
33. Downy Woodpecker (v)
34. White-breasted Nuthatch
35. Chipping Sparrow
36. Brown-headed Cowbird (v)
37. Eastern Bluebird (v)
38. Blackpoll Warbler† (v)
39. Double-crested Cormorant
40. Savannah Sparrow
41. Red-eyed Vireo (v)
42. Black-throated Blue Warbler (v)
Elsewhere
43. Laughing Gull†
44. Turkey Vulture
45. European Starling
46. Red-winged Blackbird (v)
47. Rock Pigeon
48. House Sparrow (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird
 Gray Catbird.
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated blue warbler, black-throated green warbler, blackpoll warbler, blue jay, brown-headed cowbird, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common raveng, common yellowthroat, double-crested cormorant, downy woodpecker, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, European starling, hermit thrush, herring gull, house sparrow, laughing gull, mallard, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern flicker, ovenbird, purple finch, ray catbird, red-eyed vireo, red-winged blackbird, rock pigeon, rose-breasted grosbeak, ruby-throated hummingbird, ruffed grouse, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, turkey vulture, veery, white-breasted nuthatch, wild turkey, wood thrush, yellow warbler
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
Saturday, May 9th, 2015
 Common Yellowthroat. Up early, cool day heavy overcast early. Did not hear a lot of birds first thing—but after a little while, there they all were. Several nesting species have not yet arrived at Beech hill—flycatchers, Yellow Warbler, hummingbird, tanager, Red-eyed Vireo—but nearly all those that have did show up on my list today.
 Veery. But perhaps most interesting this morning were some instances that convinced me I’m getting to know Beech Hill pretty well.
For instance, early in my hike with dog, I heard the drumming of a grouse ahead of us—quite nearby. Then came the song of a Chestnut-sided Warbler, and we started around a curve where I thought I might get a good look. But in the back of my mind, I thought, “That partridge is gonna flush,” and I kind of looked in the direction of its booming, and the grouse flushed, and I got to see it fly fast, right to left, in full view for three or four seconds.
As we walked in the upper woods, I noticed a thrush walking the trail about thirty feet ahead of us. The native (non-robin) thrushes all look similar at first glance, but I knew it was a Veery. Just knew.
Then, later, on the other side of the hill, I looked up in the fog to see a large black bird flying over—and I knew right away it was a raven, not a crow. Subtle clues, I guess: solitary bird, quiet, flying kind of low, coming from a particular direction. When it then began to soar, I wasn’t surprised. And after it disappeared over the trees, the voices of crows confirmed it.
Love, in a way, is familiarity.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Black-capped Chickadee**
2. Common Yellowthroat
3. Ovenbird**
4. Mourning Dove*
5. Pileated Woodpecker (v)
6. Eastern Towhee
7. Blue-headed Vireo (v)
8. Hermit Thrush
9. Herring Gull* (v)
10. Chestnut-sided Warbler
11. Ruffed Grouse
12. Veery
13. Black-and-white Warbler**
14. Black-throated Green Warbler
15. Northern Cardinal**
16. Blue Jay (v)
17. American Goldfinch**
18. Gray Catbird
19. White-throated Sparrow (v)
20. American Crow*
21. Northern Flicker
22. Song Sparrow**
23. Wild Turkey
24. Eastern Phoebe
25. Savannah Sparrow
26. Tufted Titmouse (v)
27. Palm Warbler
28. White-breasted Nuthatch** (v)
29. American Robin*
30. Nashville Warbler
31. Chipping Sparrow (v)
32. Common Raven
33. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v)
34. Northern Parula
35. Winter Wren (v)
36. Mallard
Elsewhere
37. House Finch (v)
38. Common Grackle
39. European Starling
40. Sharp-shinned Hawk
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, blue-headed vireo, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common grackle, common raven, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, European starling, gray catbird, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, mallard, mourning dove, Nashville warbler, northern cardinal, northern flicker, northern parula, ovenbird, palm warbler, pileated woodpecker, red-bellied woodpecker, ruffed grouse, savannah sparrow, sharp-shinned hawk, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, veery, white-breasted nuthatch, white-throated sparrow, wild turkeyu, winter wren
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
Monday, July 14th, 2014
 Savannah Sparrow. A lovely, warm afternoon at Beech Hill. Birdsong abounded. I suspect that’s because nestlings have become fledglings, so there’s not so much need to be quiet and stealthy (although there’s really always that need, if you’re a bird). And the adults teaching their songs.
 Chestnut-sided Warbler fledgling. Spotted a female American Redstart feeding a fledgling near the parking lot. Surprised a little family of Ruffed Grouse alongside the trail—as the other made alarm sounds, two chicks took off and sailed over a low stand of bushes. And spotted one of this year’s Chestnut-sided Warblers following its mother around.
At the summit, I heard Common Yellowthroats and Savannah Sparrows and Song Sparrows and Field Sparrows. In flight overhead, goldfinches chattered and waxwings sang squee! And as Jack and I stopped to visited with a pair of friendly hikers, a Towhee let fly from a bough of a spruce.
Birdsong improves a summer afternoon.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 4:45 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. American Redstart
2. American Goldfinch
3. Eastern Towhee
4. Chipping Sparrow
5. American Robin
6. Gray Catbird
7. Chestnut-sided Warbler
8. Song Sparrow
9. Cedar Waxwing
10. Ruffed Grouse
11. Yellow Warbler
12. Common Yellowthroat
13. Red-eyed Vireo
14. Savannah Sparrow
15. Mourning Dove
16. Herring Gull
17. Field Sparrow
18. Blue Jay
19. Black-capped Chickadee
20. White-breasted Nuthatch
21. Black-and-white Warbler
22. American Crow
Elsewhere
23. Ovenbird
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat, eastern towhee, field sparrow, gray catbird, herring gull, mourning dove, ovenbird, red-eyed vireo, ruffed grouse, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, white-breasted nuthatch, yellow warbler
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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