Today I spied (or heard) four species. Other days I’ve had six—or none. They have (vastly or subtly) different calls, different drumming habits, slightly different habitats. IDs can be tricky without visual (or, in the case of downies and hairies, even with a visual).
I like the challenge. I love the drumming. Essentially, I’m infatuated with woodpeckers.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:12 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo** (v) 2. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 3. Common Yellowthroat 4. Ovenbird** (v) 5. American Goldfinch** 6. Blue Jay 7. Tufted Titmouse (v) 8. American Robin 9. Downy Woodpecker (v) 10. Black-capped Chickadee 11. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 12. Eastern Towhee 13. Chestnut-sided Warbler (v) 14. American Redstart (v) 15. Brown Creeper (v) 16. Eastern Wood-pewee 17. Hermit Thrush 18. Northern Flicker 19. Gray Catbird 20. Alder Flycatcher (v) 21. Field Sparrow 22. Cedar Waxwing 23. Song Sparrow** 24. Yellow Warbler 25. Eastern Phoebe 26. Purple Finch (v) 27. Savannah Sparrow 28. Prairie Warbler (v) 29. Black-billed Cuckoo (v) 30. Pileated Woodpecker (v) 31. House Wren 32. Common Raven (v) 33. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 34. Chipping Sparrow 35. Yellow-bellied sapsucker (v) 36. Veery (v)
Elsewhere
37. Northern Cardinal (v) 38. Mourning Dove 39. Herring Gull
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Got up to the trail head early, dog and I. And, wow, what a day.
Noteworthy:
Wild Turkey poult in tree.
• a first-of-year Chimney Swift flew over as we approached the summit • a Wood Frog appeared on the lower wooded trail, expertly camouflaged • a White-tailed Deer bounded away as we reached the summit (and for the first time I heard the alarm call of a white-tailed deer—since this one must’ve had a fawn or two nearby) • a group of about sixteen turkeys flushed as we returned down the upper trail, with the many poults flying up into the trees
I’d redo this hike again, if I could. (Ahh, summertime!)
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:07 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo** 2. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 3. Hermit Thrush (v) 4. Ovenbird (v) 5. American Goldfinch** 6. Tufted Titmouse (v) 7. Black-and-white Warbler 8. Chestnut-sided Warbler 9. Northern Cardinal** (v) 10. American Crow* 11. Black-capped Chickadee 12. American Robin* (v) 13. American Redstart 14. Downy Woodpecker 15. Northern Flicker (v) 16. Eastern Wood-pewee 17. Blue Jay (v) 18. Eastern Towhee 19. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 20. Brown Creeper (v) 21. Common Yellowthroat 22. Turkey Vulture 23. Gray Catbird (v) 24. Yellow Warbler 25. Song Sparrow** 26. Cedar Waxwing 27. Chimney Swift† 28. Alder Flycatcher (v) 29. Field Sparrow 30. Red-breasted Nuthatch** (v) 31. Prairie Warbler (v) 32. Savannah Sparrow 33. Wild Turkey
Elsewhere
34. Rock Pigeon 35. Broad-winged Hawk (v)
Mammals
Eastern Chipmunk White-tailed Deer
Amphibians
Wood Frog
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
We hit the trailhead bit later than yesterday, dog and I, but what a lovely Fifth of July morning: about room temperature, a bit breezy, with a goodly number of bird species.
It’s tourist season, with schooner cruises out on the bay, a big ol’ honest-to-gosh cruise ship headed into Rockland Harbor, and a slow stream of out-of-state visitors hiking this fairly famous hill. The beginnings of tourist season corresponds more or less with fledgling season.
Spotted (or heard) thirty-three species. Notably no chickadees, but they’ll be back.
Supposed to rain overnight. Might be a damp hike in the morning.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:28 a.m., I hiked most trails.
`1. Pileated Woodpecker (v) 2. Red-eyed Vireo** (v) 3. Ovenbird** 4. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 5. Northern Cardinal (v) 6. Black-and-white Warbler 7. American Goldfinch** 8. Wood Thrush (v) 9. American Crow* 10. Veery (v) 11. American Redstart (v) 12. Brown Creeper (v) 13. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 14. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 15. Blue Jay (v) 16. American Robin* 17. Northern Flicker (v) 18. Eastern Phoebe* 19. Chestnut-sided Warbler* 20. Gray Catbird* 21. Common Yellowthroat (v) 22. Mourning Dove 23. Cedar Waxwing (v) 24. Field Sparrow (v) 25. Downy Woodpecker (v) 26. Song Sparrow (v) 27. Purple Finch** (v) 28. Savannah Sparrow (v) 29. Eastern Towhee * 30. Turkey Vulture * 31. Hermit Thrush (tree) 32. Yellow Warbler (v) 33. Prairie Warbler (v)
Elsewhere
34. Herring Gull
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
