|
|
 |
|
|
Posts Tagged ‘rock dove’
Sunday, April 6th, 2014
 Common Raven. The excitement today came early. I rose with the sun, fed the pets and heated up some coffee, and drove up Route 1 to Rockville Street with Jack—the shortest distance to Beech Hill Preserve. Approaching the left turn on Rockville, I noticed three dark birds flapping right to left ahead. We converged at the corner and I realized the birds were two gulls harassing a raven. Occasionally the larger bird, as ravens will do, flipped upside down, talons extended. It seems automatic when they do that—not at all panicked—and as I slowed the pickup, the raven perched on a snag at the edge of a little roadside pasture.
 Vee (Canada geese). I slowed, stopped, rolled down my window and grabbed my camera. Got a couple mediocre photos and a short video—which captured the bird dipping off the snag and lighting on the ground beneath the trees and out of view. As we began to move again, I saw a second raven down there. It looked like they were drinking from a runoff pool.
Later, coming down the wooded Beech Hill trail, I heard a raven’s guttural call, looked up, and saw the pair of them flying fast—one was chasing the other, apparently—above the still-bare canopy.
Other highlights of our early hike featured other birds in flight: a male northern harrier, an adult bald eagle, and a vee of thirty-seven geese.
But all this warmish-yet-brisk spring day, I kept remembering the ravens.
P.S. Mars is really bright these nights.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7:15 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Black-capped Chickadee*
2. American Crow*
3. American Robin*
4. Ruffed Grouse (wingbeats)
5. Red-winged Blackbird
6. Canada Goose
7. Song Sparrow* (v)
8. Northern Harrier
9. Herring Gull*
10. Mallard*
11. Bald Eagle
12. Blue Jay
13. Northern Cardinal** (v)
14. American Goldfinch (v)
15. Northern Flicker (v)
16. Common Raven*
17. Mourning Dove*
18. Hairy Woodpecker
19. White-breasted Nuthatch
Elsewhere
20. House Sparrow
21. Rock Dove
22. Tufted Titmouse (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, bald eagle, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, Canada goose, common raven, hairy woodpecker, herring gull, house sparrow, mallard, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern flicker, northern harrier, red-winged blackbird, rock dove, ruffed grouse, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
Friday, April 4th, 2014
 Pileated Woodpecker (male). Got up real early, nuked some coffee, grabbed Jack, and headed for Beech Hill.
A little nippy up there, but calm and the sun rose fast. A frost kept the slush fairly solid on the way up through the woods. Birds all over the place, staking out their territories—singing chickadees, singing nuthatches, singing cardinals. Others moving through, e.g., blackbirds (red-wings, grackles, and cowbirds flying over). The shrike hasn’t left yet.
In fact, as I was taking a little video of the shrike near the Beech Hill Road gate, I heard a pileated woodpecker’s cry. Then I heard a woodpecker drumming—the pileated, I felt sure. We walked up to the road and I searched for the bird, whose drumming seemed loud and nearby. Finally spotted it atop a utility pole. Got a better video of its territorial declarations.
Met up with some CMLT staff and friend Derek at the parking lot—they were about to do a habitat survey of the preserve—then hiked quickly back up and over the hill. Down in the woods, right where I thought it might happen, we flushed a woodcock on the muddy track. Then a second one. I’ll have to pay more attention down there next time through.
 Northern Shrike. This afternoon, a robin bounced around my little front lawn for hours.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7:15 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. American Robin*
2. Downy Woodpecker
3. American Crow*
4. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
5. Mourning Dove*
6. Northern Cardinal**
7. Red-winged Blackbird†
8. Black-capped Chickadee*
9. Blue Jay (v)
10. White-throated Sparrow (v)
11. Herring Gull* (v)
12. Canada Goose (v)
13. Song Sparrow** (v)
14. Northern Shrike
15. Brown-headed Cowbird (v)
16. Common Grackle (v)
17. Pileated Woodpecker*
18. Dark-eyed Junco**
19. House Finch** (v)
20. American Goldfinch (v)
21. Tufted Titmouse** (v)
22. American Woodcock
Elsewhere
23. House Sparrow
24. Rock Dove
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, American woodcock, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, brown-headed cowbird, Canada goose, common grackle, dark-eyed junco, downy woodpecker, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern shrike, pileated woodpecker, red-winged blackbird, rock dove, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch, white-throated sparrow
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 2nd, 2014
 Eastern Bluebird (female). I had occasion to rise early, too cook an early breakfast, and to head out early with Jack for Beech Hill. Heard a junco and a fox sparrow out back. The day was cool but sunny and calm. The slush on the wooded trails remained hard from last night’s freeze—as did the muddy spots, for the most part. Robins everywhere.
 Eastern Bluebird (male). Robins on the wooded trails, dining on staghorn sumac; robins on the open fields foraging for whatever they forage for up there. Robins everywhere.
But we also flushed a woodcock (first-of-year for me), heard the spring songs of chickadees and mourning doves, came upon a male harrier at the eastern wood fringe, and stumbled on a pair of bluebirds on the trailside barrens. I happened to spot the male, perched on a rock. As I took his photo, a female showed up chattering and chased him away. Later I got a photo of the lovely latter bird.
Twenty species in all today. Pretty sure that’s the most so far this year.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 8:30 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. American Robin*
2. House Finch** (v)
3. American Crow*
4. Black-capped Chickadee**
5. Mourning Dove
6. American Woodcock
7. American Goldfinch* (v)
8. Brown Creeper (v)
9. Northern Harrier
10. Song Sparrow*
11. Northern Cardinal (v)
12. Eastern Bluebird
13. Blue Jay
14. Herring Gull*
15. Hairy Woodpecker
Elsewhere
16, Tufted Titmouse
17. Dark-eyed Junco (v)
18. Fox Sparrow (v)
19. House Sparrow (v)
20. Rock Dove
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
 American Robin.
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, American woodcock, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, brown creeper, dark-eyed junco, fox sparrow, hairy woodpecker, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern harrier, rock dove, song sparrow, tufted titmouse
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
|
|
| |
| Bird Report is a (sometimes intermittent) record of the birds I encounter while hiking, see while driving, or spy outside my window. —Brian Willson |
|
|
