Dog and I met friends (dog and human) at the wooded trailhead for an earlier-than-usual hike this morning. It was a lot of fun. Chilly, mostly sunny, and a lot leafier than yesterday.
No firsts-of-year today, but a total of thirty-three species (ten of them warblers), and the fine experience of a fresh new lush spring morning.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 4:40 a.m. sun time (5:50 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Ovenbird** 2. Black-throated Green Warbler** (v) 3. American Goldfinch (v) 4. Black-and-white Warbler (v) 5. Chestnut-sided Warbler** 6. Common Yellowthroat 7. Gray Catbird** 8. Blue Jay 9. Northern Parula (v) 10. American Redstart (v) 11. Eastern Towhee 12. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 13. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v) 14. Nashville Warbler (v) 15. American Crow* 16. Field Sparrow (v) 17. Veery (v) 18. Chipping Sparrow (v) 19. Song Sparrow (v) 20. Eastern Phoebe (v) 21. Eastern Bluebird 22. Purple Finch (v) 23. Yellow Warbler (v) 24. White-breasted Nuthatch 25. Red-winged Blackbird (v) 26. American Robin 27. Northern Cardinal 28. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 29. Tree Swallow 30. Savannah Sparrow 31. Wood Thrush (v) 32. Tufted Titmouse (v) 33. Black-throated Blue Warbler (v)
Elsewhere
34. Mallard 35. Wild Turkey
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
The day dawned with a sort of humid haze that lasted much of the day. Temps in the mid-50s (F) as dog and I started up the wooded Beech Hill trail. And there wasn’t much wind at all. I had no expectations—other than hoping for another first-of-year or two. Welp, I got three!
Right off the bat, I heard the voice of a Baltimore Oriole, which kindly flew up to a limb above us. Coming up the upper trail, I heard the voice of a Nashville Warbler. And at the summit, I heard—then saw—an American Restart.
Otherwise, we met five trail friends (and three dog friends) and oversaw the blooming blueberries and rhodora and little wild fruit trees.
Gonna be another good ’un tomorrow, I can just tell.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 6:18 a.m. sun time (7:18 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Ovenbird** 2. Song Sparrow 3. Black-throated Green Warbler** 4. Baltimore Oriole† 5. Downy Woodpecker 6. American Goldfinch 7. Blue Jay (v) 8. Purple Finch 9. Chestnut-sided Warbler** 10. Northern Parula (v) 11. American Crow* 12. Brown Creeper 13. Black-and-white Warbler (v) 14. Eastern Towhee 15. Blue-headed Vireo (v) 16. Gray Catbird 17. Nashville Warbler† (v) 18. Tufted Titmouse (v) 19. Common Yellowthroat (v) 20. Black-capped Chickadee 21. Field Sparrow (v) 22. Yellow Warbler 23. American Robin 24. White-throated Sparrow** 25. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 26. Yellow-rumped Warbler (v) 27. Chipping Sparrow** 28. American Redstart† 29. Eastern Bluebird 30. Tree Swallow 31. Eastern Phoebe 32. Northern Cardinal (v) 33. Hairy Woodpecker (v) 34. Veery (v) 35. Northern Flicker** (v)
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
’Tis the season of the Ovenbird. Just now they’re singing teacher–teacher–TEACHER! all through the woodlands around here. I might well have mentioned before that I set my phone’s ringtone to the song of the Ovenbird so I’d never hear it at this time of year. (These days I leave my cell on mute while birding.)
They’ve been around for several days, but today was the first time one posed for a photo, perched about twenty or thirty feet up in the canopy.
Today’s first-of-year bird? Another one word species: Veery. I’ve missed this plain little thrush. Won’t be long before a lot of other species will be arriving—flycatchers, tanagers, and the like.
Also saw a hare and snake. I love these greening days.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 6:18 a.m. sun time (7:18 DST), I hiked all trails.
