Cool again this morning, but breezier and clearer and warming up in a hurry. Birds about—reawakened after yesterday’s soaking rain. A few returning species, a few familiar friends, nothing particularly outlandish.
But the blue of the sky and a few juvenile bluebirds and late summer’s yellowish sun-color… It all added up to a pretty miraculous morning.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:33 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo** 2. American Crow* 3. American Goldfinch** 4. Black-capped Chickadee 5. Eastern Towhee 6. Blue Jay 7. Veery (v) 8. Eastern Wood-pewee** (v) 9. Ovenbird 10. Gray Catbird 11. Common Yellowthroat 12. Northern Flicker 13. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 14. Broad-winged Hawk 15. Song Sparrow 16. Savannah Sparrow 17. Cedar Waxwing 18. American Redstart (v) 19. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 20. Eastern Bluebird 21. Tufted Titmouse 22. Chipping Sparrow 23. Turkey Vulture 24. Herring Gull* 25. Downy Woodpecker (v)
Elsewhere
26. Carolina Wren 27. Mourning Dove
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Sure enough rained yesterday, and overnight last night, and first thing this morning. Dog and I waited until a bit late, when rain turned to mist and fog, before heading up main trail for the second straight day.
A hike in a cloud—and the birds were lovin’ it. Nearly a dozen more species than yesterday, and a few little pods of warblers moving through the drippy trees of the wooded trail. Speaking of, as we hiked that trail, rain began to fall again. Ah, so great. We hiked for about ten minutes or so in a steady gentle rain (staying drier than we would’ve had we been hiking the open trail).
A jay and a cardinal at the end of it. And in the afternoon, more sweet rain.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:55 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. White-breasted Nuthatch 2. Gray Catbird 3. American Crow 4. Red-eyed Vireo 5. Least Flycatcher 6. Eastern Towhee 7. Downy Woodpecker 8. Black-capped Chickadee 9. American Goldfinch 10. Cedar Waxwing 11. Red-breasted Nuthatch 12. Song Sparrow 13. Purple Finch 14. Savannah Sparrow 15. Common Yellowthroat 16. Yellow Warbler 17. Northern Flicker 18. Mourning Dove 19. Chestnut-sided Warbler 20. Yellow-rumped Warbler 21. Brown Creeper 22. Hermit Thrush 23. Eastern Wood-pewee 24. Northern Cardinal 25. Blue Jay
Elsewhere
26. Carolina Wren
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Here’s a picture of a Red-eyed Vireo. It’s a common species in the spring and summer woodland trails I hike with dog each day. These vireos flit around fairly high in the canopy, where the hardwood leaves provide good cover, and it’s a challenge to get a decent photo.
Today, this one paused and posed.
Otherwise, an interesting hike: heard (then saw, in high flight) a Greater Yellowlegs; heard the first Pileated Woodpecker in a while; saw a bunch of later-summer dragonflies and butterflies. I lovely morning.
Looks like tomorrow morning we’ll be hiking in rain showers. Which is better than fine. (We need rain.)
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:32 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Blue Jay (v) 2. American Goldfinch** 3. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 4. American Crow* (v) 5. Red-eyed Vireo** 6. Ovenbird 7. Eastern Towhee 8. Purple Finch 9. Eastern Wood-pewee 10. Brown Creeper (v) 11. Yellow-rumped Warbler (v) 12. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v) 13. Alder Flycatcher (v) 14. Gray Catbird** 15. Song Sparrow** 16. Cedar Waxwing 17. Yellow Warbler (v) 18. Savannah Sparrow 19. Common Yellowthroat (v) 20. American Robin (v) 21. Pileated Woodpecker (v) 22. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 23. Tufted Titmouse 24. Greater Yellowlegs 25. Chestnut-sided Warbler
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
