It rained most of last night, and the day dawned wet and drippy. The overcast lasted all day, but my morning hike with dog was all sweet, watery drippiness. Quiet, though, with few birds flitting around in the greenery.
Until (as yesterday) we reached a spot on the wooded trail where chickadees were chatting at each other. Sure enough, several species of small birds were accompanying the chickadees—vireo, warblers, a wood-pewee….
Also spied a Swainson’s Thrush again, perhaps the same individual as yesterday. I listened as it repeatedly uttered a sweet short note I’d never heard before.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:03 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Blue Jay (v) 2. American Crow 3. Ovenbird 4. Northern Flicker 5. Gray Catbird 6. Eastern Towhee (v) 7. Song Sparrow 8. Common Yellowthroat (v) 9. Swainson’s Thrush 10. Yellow-rumped Warbler 11. Cedar Waxwing (v) 12. Black-capped Chickadee 13. Black-throated Green Warbler 14. Black-and-white Warbler 15. Tufted Titmouse (v) 16. Red-eyed Vireo 17. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 18. White-throated Sparrow 19. American Goldfinch
Elsewhere
20. Mallard
Mammals
Eastern Gray Squirrel Eastern Chipmunk
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Another clear sky with a breeze from a favorable direction, but I didn’t expect early fall migration would grace me with so many species during my morning hike with dog. Thirty.
Notable additions to the usual suspects were a pair of hawks (sharpie and broad-winged), White-throated Sparrow (rarely seen since spring), Ruby-crowned Kinglet—and at the end of our hike we spooked an American Woodcock.
A week from today, dog and I will be Monhegan bound for an even more exciting glimpse of fall migration in action.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:25 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. American Crow* 2. Hermit Thrush 3. Blue Jay** 4. Black-capped Chickadee* 5. Red-breasted Nuthatch** 6. Gray Catbird 7. Common Yellowthroat 8. Hairy Woodpecker (v) 9. American Redstart 10. Black-and-white Warbler 11. Red-eyed Vireo 12. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v) 13. Northern Flicker 14. American Robin* 15. White-breasted Nuthatch 16. American Goldfinch 17. Eastern Towhee 18. Yellow-rumped Warbler 19. White-throated Sparrow 20. Cedar Waxwing 21. Song Sparrow 22. Savannah Sparrow 23. Eastern Bluebird 24. Sharp-shinned Hawk 25. Chipping Sparrow 26. Broad-winged Hawk 27. Ruby-crowned Kinglet 28. Tufted Titmouse (v) 29. Brown Creeper (v) 30. American Woodcock
Elsewhere
31. Carolina Wren (v) 32. Northern Cardinal (v)
Mammals
Eastern Gray Squirrel Eastern Chipmunk
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
