Every day lately on my hike with dog I’ve seen and/or heard young birds of various species—warblers, finches, a cowbird once, and today a jay. A recently fledged jay is about the size of an adult but with a youngsters voice and a tendency to open its beak and flutter its wings like any fledgling looking for a handout from a parent.
After a couple of sunny, humid days, today’s fog and cooler temps proved a bit of a relief. After yesterday’s first-of-year wood lily, today I saw at least a dozen. Also dewy clover and meadowsweet. Ate a few dewy blueberries.
Foggy weather returns tomorrow, so I’ve heard.
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:29 a.m. EST (8:29 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Ovenbird 2. Red-eyed Vireo (v) 3. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 4. Northern Cardinal** (v) 5. American Goldfinch 6. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 7. Cedar Waxwing (v) 8. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 9. Veery** 10. Black-capped Chickadee 11. Northern Flicker (v) 12. Eastern Towhee 13. Blue Jay 14. American Crow* (v) 15. Downy Woodpecker (v) 16. Hermit Thrush (v) 17. Tufted Titmouse (v) 18. Chestnut-sided Warbler** 19. Common Yellowthroat 20. Gray Catbird 21. Field Sparrow (v) 22. Yellow Warbler 23. Song Sparrow 24. American Robin 25. Alder Flycatcher (v) 26. Hairy Woodpecker 27. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v) 28. Mourning Dove (v) 29. Savannah Sparrow 30. Black-and-white Warbler (v) 31. American Redstart 32. Chipping Sparrow (v)
Elsewhere
32. Eastern Phoebe (v) 33. Herring Gull
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Another clear and warm and muggy morn with interesting bird activity. Heard many youngsters of various species begging for meals; heard the call of a Red-bellied Woodpecker; saw both Turkey Vulture and Wild Turkey.
Most notable: a group of three or four fledgling Purple Finches giving their parent finch(es) reason for some frantic hunting-and-feeding activity.
Tomorrow morning’s supposed to be foggy. We shall see!
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:29 a.m. EST (8:29 DST), I hiked all trails.
This morning was overcast and warmish and humid and a bit drippy, but you could see the bay islands for the first time in a week or more. Plus, the sun emerged a time or two during my hike with dog. Fewer birds than in recent days—likely because they were laying low. Because of all the youngsters.
You’ll hear a lot of warning chips this time of year. Also the sounds of begging fledglings. And early nestlings are now at the “immature” stage, like a young robin I saw today.
Had a nice bit of warmth and sun this afternoon. Been a while. More possible tomorrow (also thunderstorms), and even more on Thursday.
Beech Hill List Starting at 6:37 a.m. EST (7:37 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Chestnut-sided Warbler** 2. Red-eyed Vireo** 3. American Goldfinch 4. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 5. Black-capped Chickadee** 6. Ovenbird (v) 7. Veery(( (v) 8. Song Sparrow 9. White-breasted Nuthatch** 10. American Crow* 11. Gray Catbird** 12. Eastern Towhee** 13. Black-and-white Warbler (v) 14. Northern Parula (v) 15. Common Yellowthroat 16. Eastern Bluebird 17. Yellow Warbler 18. American Robin 19. Field Sparrow (v) 20. Cedar Waxwing 21. Alder Flycatcher (v) 22. Prairie Warbler (v) 23. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 24. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v) 25. Blue Jay (v) 26. Wood Thrush (v) 27. Tufted Titmouse 28. Hairy Woodpecker
