Well, wasn’t this morning’s a fun birding excursion. Dog and I hit the trail kind of early—same time as yesterday, pretty much—but things seemed awfully quiet to start. Then, as we approached the edge between woodlands and open fields, all heaven broke loose.
Heard (and saw) Red-bellied Woodpeckers. Flushed a couple of turkeys. Then at the little summit spruce grove, where a fly hatch was going on, a couple unexpected species showed up. Most notably, a little group of orioles (first of year). But also a solitary Least Flycatcher, which must’ve been having a field day up there.
Also, at one point, I heard a Killdeer fly overhead. Random.
Random, but really cool.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:14 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. American Goldfinch** 2. American Crow* 3. Red-eyed Vireo** 4. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 5. Pileated Woodpecker (v) 6. Mourning Dove* (v) 7. Eastern Wood-pewee 8. Black-capped Chickadee** 9. Hermit Thrush (v) 10. Blue Jay (v) 11. Tufted Titmouse 12 White-breasted Nuthatch** 13. Red-bellied Woodpecker 14. Northern Flicker (v) 15. Wild Turkey 16. Eastern Towhee 17. Alder Flycatcher 18. Common Yellowthroat 19. Gray Catbird 20. Cedar Waxwing 21. Song Sparrow 22. Yellow Warbler (v) 23. American Robin 24. Rose-breasted Grosbeak 25. Baltimore Oriole† 26. Field Sparrow (v) 27. Eastern Phoebe 28. Least Flycatcher 29. Black-and-white Warbler 30. Eastern Bluebird 31. Savanna Sparrow (v) 32. Downy Woodpecker 33. Killdeer (v) 24. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 35. Northern Cardinal (v) 36. Hairy Woodpecker
Elsewhere
37. Herring Gull 38. Chipping Sparrow (v)
Mammals
White-tailed Deer (v)
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Three years ago today, I was hauling a trailer full of my (and Jack’s) belongings and moving to Salt Lake City. Three months ago, we returned—and glad we did. [Not that I didn’t enjoy the high desert.] Today was a good representation of why: a cool morning hike, clean, fragrant air, many birds to observe, a long view of the bay.
Notable today were three woodpecker species that made their presences known within a few minutes of each other, several bird families (adults and juvies, among them nuthatches, sparrows, waxwings), and crows chasing a hawk.
Loved this morning, and looking forward to the next.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:15 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo** 2. American Crow* 3. Song Sparrow** 4. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 5. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 6. Ovenbird 7. American Goldfinch 8. Eastern Towhee 9. Hermit Thrush 10. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 11. Black-and-white Warbler (v) 12. Tufted Titmouse (v) 13. Brown Creeper (v) 14. American Robin 15. Hairy Woodpecker 16. Downy Woodpecker (v) 17. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v) 18. Eastern Towhee 19. Alder Flycatcher (v) 20. Common Yellowthroat 21. Gray Catbird 22. Chestnut-sided Warbler 23. Cedar Waxwing 24. Chipping Sparrow 25. Field Sparrow 26. Savannah Sparrow 27. Blue-headed Vireo 28. Blue Jay (v) 29. House Wren (v) 30. Herring Gull* 31. Broad-winged Hawk 32. Turkey Vulture 33. Yellow Warbler (v) 34. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v)
Elsewhere
35. Mourning Dove
Mammals
Eastern Gray Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Overcast to start this morning, but clearing pretty quickly. Yesterday’s soaking rains—welcome though they were—left few traces other than a couple little washouts and a good swarm of mosquitoes. (Trails still pretty dry.)
Not so many birds today, either—although a couple juvies were fun (bluebird, sapsucker)—but cool and breezy and lovely.
(The most memorable moment: spying—then devouring—my first-of-year wild blackberry. Yum!)
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:26 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo** 2. American Crow* 3. American Goldfinch** 4. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 5. Gray Catbird 6. Tufted Titmouse (v) 7. Eastern Wood-pewee 8. Hermit Thrush 9. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 10. American Robin 11. Eastern Towhee 12. Black-capped Chickadee 13. Alder Flycatcher (v) 14. Field Sparrow 15. Common Yellowthroat 16. Song Sparrow 17. Cedar Waxwing 18. Yellow Warbler (v) 19. Savannah Sparrow 20. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 21. Blue Jay (v) 22. Eastern Bluebird 23. House Wren (v) 24. Northern Flicker
Elsewhere
25. Mourning Dove 26. Northern Cardinal 27. Chipping Sparrow
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
