Things began slow again this morning—about a half-hour earlier than yesterday—but the sky was clear, the air cool and dry to start. Nearing the high point of the wooded trail, the woodpeckers began to call. A downy, a hairy, a red-bellied, a flicker—I love when the woodpeckers show up.
Otherwise a little slow, but with beautiful scenery and another waxwing-thrilling fly hatch. (And a few nice chats with humans along the way.)
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:31 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo** 2. Blue Jay 3. American Crow* (v) 4. Hermit Thrush 5. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 6. American Goldfinch** 7. Eastern Wood-pewee 8. Cedar Waxwing 9. Black-capped Chickadee** (v) 10. Tufted Titmouse (v) 11. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 12. Downy Woodpecker (v) 13. American Robin 14. Hairy Woodpecker 15. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v) 16. Ovenbird 17. Northern Flicker (v) 18. Eastern Towhee 19. Alder Flycatcher 20. Common Yellowthroat 21. Song Sparrow 22. Gray Catbird** 23. Eastern Phoebe 24. Field Sparrow (v) 25. Yellow Warbler (v) 26. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v) 27. Eastern Bluebird (v)
Three years ago today, I was hauling a trailer full of my (and Jack’s) belongings and moving to Salt Lake City. Three months ago, we returned—and glad we did. [Not that I didn’t enjoy the high desert.] Today was a good representation of why: a cool morning hike, clean, fragrant air, many birds to observe, a long view of the bay.
Notable today were three woodpecker species that made their presences known within a few minutes of each other, several bird families (adults and juvies, among them nuthatches, sparrows, waxwings), and crows chasing a hawk.
Loved this morning, and looking forward to the next.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:15 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo** 2. American Crow* 3. Song Sparrow** 4. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 5. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 6. Ovenbird 7. American Goldfinch 8. Eastern Towhee 9. Hermit Thrush 10. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 11. Black-and-white Warbler (v) 12. Tufted Titmouse (v) 13. Brown Creeper (v) 14. American Robin 15. Hairy Woodpecker 16. Downy Woodpecker (v) 17. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v) 18. Eastern Towhee 19. Alder Flycatcher (v) 20. Common Yellowthroat 21. Gray Catbird 22. Chestnut-sided Warbler 23. Cedar Waxwing 24. Chipping Sparrow 25. Field Sparrow 26. Savannah Sparrow 27. Blue-headed Vireo 28. Blue Jay (v) 29. House Wren (v) 30. Herring Gull* 31. Broad-winged Hawk 32. Turkey Vulture 33. Yellow Warbler (v) 34. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v)
Elsewhere
35. Mourning Dove
Mammals
Eastern Gray Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Overcast to start this morning, but clearing pretty quickly. Yesterday’s soaking rains—welcome though they were—left few traces other than a couple little washouts and a good swarm of mosquitoes. (Trails still pretty dry.)
Not so many birds today, either—although a couple juvies were fun (bluebird, sapsucker)—but cool and breezy and lovely.
(The most memorable moment: spying—then devouring—my first-of-year wild blackberry. Yum!)
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:26 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo** 2. American Crow* 3. American Goldfinch** 4. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 5. Gray Catbird 6. Tufted Titmouse (v) 7. Eastern Wood-pewee 8. Hermit Thrush 9. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 10. American Robin 11. Eastern Towhee 12. Black-capped Chickadee 13. Alder Flycatcher (v) 14. Field Sparrow 15. Common Yellowthroat 16. Song Sparrow 17. Cedar Waxwing 18. Yellow Warbler (v) 19. Savannah Sparrow 20. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 21. Blue Jay (v) 22. Eastern Bluebird 23. House Wren (v) 24. Northern Flicker
Elsewhere
25. Mourning Dove 26. Northern Cardinal 27. Chipping Sparrow
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
