Rained overnight, dawned mostly clear. Still damp and dewy, but bright angular sunlight filtering through the trees—decided to head up one of the wooded trails. Settled on the upper one.
Upper trail was a little quiet, summit was pretty quiet, still ID’d a number of the usual suspects. Then, returning via the lower wooded trail, things kind of broke loose: Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, even a young Baltimore Oriole in the still-leafy trees. Kept me busy trying to grab photos of all the flitting critters up there in the canopy.
Early fall migration is one of the most fun birding experiences. You never know what might appear. Looking forward to tomorrow.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:22 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Northern Flicker 2. American Crow* 3. Eastern Towhee 4. Gray Catbird** 5. American Goldfinch (v) 6. Black-capped Chickadee 7. American Robin 8. Downy Woodpecker (v) 9. Common Yellowthroat 10. Cedar Waxwing 11. Song Sparrow 12. Blue Jay (v) 13. Yellow-rumped Warbler 14. White-breasted Nuthatch 15. Red-bellied Woodpecker 16. Red-eyed Vireo 17. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 18. Baltimore Oriole
The last bird on my list this lovely cool mostly overcast morning was a lifer: a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher.
Other fun things happened, too: a few quiet, wandering warblers; a little gang of turkeys, an oriole, first yellow-rump in a while—but the flycatcher took the cake.
Oddly, I neither heard nor saw an Alder Flycatcher today, but then this little flitting, fly-catching bird down in the woodlands (where yellow-bellies like to hang out) began to flutter off its perch to snatch flies out of the air, then return to its perch, flicking its tail slightly. The little tail-flick, plus the yellowish wash, plus the woodland habitat pretty much confirmed my ID.
A lifer day is always a good day—but would’ve been a good day anyway.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:33 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo** (v) 2. Black-and-white Warbler 3. Tufted Titmouse 4. American Goldfinch 5. American Robin 6. Downy Woodpecker (v) 7. American Crow* 8. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 9. Hermit Thrush (v) 10. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 11. Black-capped Chickadee 12. Brown Creeper (v) 13. Ovenbird 14. Wild Turkey 15. Common Yellowthroat 16. Eastern Towhee 17. Gray Catbird** 18. Northern Flicker 19. Baltimore Oriole 20. Red-breasted Nuthatch 21. Eastern Phoebe 22. Yellow-rumped Warbler 23. Song Sparrow 24. Cedar Waxwing 25. Yellow Warbler (v) 26. Blue Jay (v) 27. Herring Gull 28. Mourning Dove* 29. American Redstart 30. Chestnut-sided Warbler 31. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher‡
Elsewhere
32. Northern Cardinal
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year ‡Lifer
Overcast and cool (low-60s (F)) this morning, with just a whisper of a breeze. Quiet on the trail first thing, but occasional calls came through. They’re moving around, the migratory species. They’re readying for the long fall journey.
Notably, more orioles today, and a minor fly hatch atop the summit spruce grove. But most notably was the circling collection of about a dozen barn swallows, a few families catching flies.
And the last bird on my list? A loon calling from not that far above the trees as we neared the end of our hike, dog and me.
(Today I booked dog and me a ferry and room for a Monhegan birding trip next month. It’s been more than three years. Excited.)
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:25 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo (v) 2. American Crow* 3. American Goldfinch 4. Black-capped Chickadee 5. Tufted Titmouse (v) 6. Blue Jay (v) 7. Black-and-white Warbler (v) 8. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 9. American Robin 10. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v) 11. Ovenbird 12. Eastern Wood-pewee 13. Brown Creeper (v) 14. Eastern Phoebe* 15. Eastern Towhee 16. Alder Flycatcher 17. Gray Catbird** 18. Northern Flicker 19. Cedar Waxwing 20. Yellow Warbler (v) 21. White-throated Sparrow (v) 22. Baltimore Oriole 23. Barn Swallow 24. Song Sparrow 25. Field Sparrow 26. Least Flycatcher (v) 27. Common Yellowthroat (v) 28. Chestnut-sided Warbler 29. Common Loon (v)
Elsewhere
30. Mourning Dove 31. Herring Gull 32. Rock Dove
Mammals
American Red Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
