An early hike after some heavy, soaking rain last evening. Wetness in the understory, a tiny bit of mud, clear skies, good birds—an auspicious time of it for dog and me.
Many, many towhees today. Adults and juveniles (the size of adults)
One noteworthy incident: While I angled to photograph a robin across a field, a hummingbird sped by within a foot of me at about 80 miles an hour—directly in front of me. I heard the hum, the hummer vanished, and a latter check of my GoPro footage caught the bird as it zipped by.
Another soaking of rain this late afternoon. Downpour, sun, downpour, sun. It’s how we do it on the coast of Maine.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:07 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo 2. Blue Jay (v) 3. American Crow* 4. American Goldfinch** 5. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 6. Northern Cardinal* (v) 7. Cedar Waxwing 8. Black-capped Chickadee** 9. Eastern Wood-pewee 10. Hairy Woodpecker 11. White-breasted Nuthatch 12. Tufted Titmouse 13. Brown Creeper 14. Hermit Thrush 15. Black-and-white Warbler 16. Eastern Towhee 17. Song Sparrow** 18. Alder Flycatcher 19. Common Yellowthroat** 20. Yellow Warbler 21. Gray Catbird 22. House Wren (v) 23. Purple Finch (v) 24. Savannah Sparrow 25. American Robin 26. Ruby-throated Hummingbird 27. Field Sparrow 28. Rose-breasted Grosbeak 29. Eastern Phoebe 30. Northern Flicker
Elsewhere
30. Mourning Dove 31. Osprey (v) 32. Herring Gull
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
A later hike than the past couple-three days—but what a luscious hike it was. Mostly clear, cool to start, fewer mosquitoes, and a bunch of bird species. Captain Jack had plenty of smells to investigate, peed here and there. Spied a hummingbird.
And took photos of a particularly cooperative Field Sparrow. Handsome little birds these are. Thanks, little guy.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:42 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo 2. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 3. Northern Cardinal** (v) 4. American Goldfinch 5. American Crow* 6. Ovenbird (v) 7. Veery (v) 8. Hairy Woodpecker (v) 9. Wild Turkey (v) 10. Black-and-white Warbler 11. Eastern Wood-pewee 12. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 13. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v) 14. Tufted Titmouse (v) 15. Brown Creeper (v) 16. Black-capped Chickadee** 17. Northern Flicker (v) 18. Hermit Thrush (v) 19. Common Yellowthroat 20. Eastern Towhee 21. Alder Flycatcher (c) 22. Song Sparrow 23. Gray Catbird 24. American Robin 25. Yellow Warbler 26. Cedar Waxwing 27. House Wren 28. Ruby-throated Hummingbird 29. Field Sparrow 30. Herring Gull* 31. Eastern Bluebird 32. Blue Jay (v) 33. Eastern Phoebe 34. Chestnut-sided Warbler 35. Osprey (v) 36. Broad-winged Hawk (v)
Elsewhere
37. Mourning Dove
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Another coolish, mostly clear early morning for dog and me. Much like yesterday—but with a notably different variety of birds. Fowl, for one thing—a gang of turkeys and a first grouse sighting of the year (although I heard a few booming back in spring).
Most obvious, perhaps, was the high numbers of Cedar Waxwings. I thought I saw a little fly hatch up in the tips of the summit spruce grove, but there also happened to be plenty of ripe berries. These late nesters might well have some youngsters to contend with also—but they were all over the open areas, in small roaming flocks.
A bunch of other young birds out rambling around also, most approaching adulthood (or adult-sized)—like towhees.
Summer’s such a rich, active, entertaining time of year.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:05 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo (v) 2. Song Sparrow** 3. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 4. American Goldfinch 5. Ovenbird 6. Wild Turkey 7. Downy Woodpecker (v) 8. Eastern Towhee 9. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 10. American Crow* 11. White-breasted Nuthatch 12. Tufted Titmouse 13. Brown Creeper (v) 14. Hairy Woodpecker 15. Black-capped Chickadee** 16. American Robin* 17. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v) 18. Hermit Thrush (v) 19. Common Yellowthroat 20. Alder Flycatcher (v) 21. Yellow Warbler (v) 22. Northern Flicker (v) 23. Cedar Waxwing 24. Gray Catbird 25. Field Sparrow (v) 26. Eastern Phoebe* 27. Eastern Bluebird 28. Blue Jay (v) 29. Purple Finch 30. Ruffed Grouse 31. Northern Parula (v) 32. Veery
Elsewhere
33. Mourning Dove 34. Herring Gull 35. Osprey
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
