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Posts Tagged ‘ruffed grouse’
Friday, July 27th, 2012
 Chestnut-sided warbler (Juvenile female). The day begin with a little rain but ended with a hazy sun. I worked for much of it, dashed out for a quick bike ride after things had dried up, and hiked Beech Hill later than usual. But Jack and I were joined by our friend Liz.
 Common yellowthroat. Despite an evening sun angling through the trees, the woods were dim and glowed green. Plenty of deer flies and mosquitoes, but also plenty of birds. Still skittish and secretive, still not very vocal, but they were moving about before hunkering down for the night. Again vireos sang, and goldfinches and waxwings were out flying around. Crows were active and vocal down the lower slopes, preparing for their late-summer conventions. In the berry thickets about half-way up the slope, we saw several silent catbirds flitting back and forth along the trail.
At one point, I heard the chip of a yellowthroat, so we stopped to get a peek. The bird, a male, scolded us from the undergrowth as I attempted photographs. Then another bird popped up—one I assumed at first to be the female but turned out to be a young chestnut-sided warbler. That’s twice this year I’ve seen those two species hanging out together (or seeming to).
Sailing was still going on out in the haze-cloaked bay, we could see. More waxwings were flying around. A song sparrow made an appearance. I spotted a house finch and heard a distant cardinal.
Returning just below the summit, we surprised the Partridge Family—the young birds scattered, and the mama grouse put up a fuss while snaking away through the shadows.
 Evening cedar waxwing. Hermit thrushes and a wood-pewee down in the lower trees. Also plenty more deer flies and mosquitoes, so we descended in kind of a hurry.
Sixteen birds on today’s Beech Hill list is more than I’ve had in a good while.
Tonight has fireflies and a waxing moon setting off behind the trees.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:30 p.m., I hiked the wooded trails.
1. Red-eyed vireo* (v)
2. American goldfinch*
3. Eastern towhee
4. American crow
5. American robin*
6. Gray catbird
7. Cedar waxwing*
8. Common yellowthroat
9. Chestnut-sided warbler
10. Alder flycatcher
11. Hermit thrush* (v)
12. Song sparrow*
13. House finch*
14. Northern cardinal*
15. Ruffed grouse
16. Eastern wood-pewee (v)
Elsewhere
17. Herring gull
18. Blue jay (v)
19. House sparrow
20. Rock pigeon
21. Chipping sparrow (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, blue jay, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, gray catbird, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, northern cardinal, red-eyed vireo, rock pigeon, ruffed grouse, song sparrow
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
Monday, July 9th, 2012
 Juvenile veery. A nest is such a fleeting thing—built with care when leaves are new and tender, perfect for its purpose while it lasts. Then in a few fortnights, it’s left alone. Abandoned. Left empty, lost to rain and sweet decay.
 Juvenile robin. A lot of Beech Hill nests are open to the elements these days, that’s for sure. Judging, at least, from all the fledglings.
Jack and I got up there late (after another busy ol’ day—but which included, glad to say, a fast bike ride) and didn’t encounter many birds to start with, but a hundred yards are so into the woods, we stopped so I could listen. Heard a redstart for a change, far from any nesting site that I know of. Heard a catbird off in the trees (after hearing none yesterday). And veeries (also absent during our hike a day previous) were all over the place. Singing, calling, wailing in alarm. At one point about half way up, I heard the faint but clear complaints of warbler chicks. And there they were, in the low branches of a trailside tree, flitting after a parent. As I attempted (not very successfully) to photograph the young chestnut-sideds, a solitary brown bird zoomed up and perched not far away: a fledgling veery.
Coming up toward the summit, just entering the last stand of trees, I heard a jumble of surprising bird calls—black-and-white warbler, flicker, house finch—and then we surprised a little brood of grouse. The youngsters were about the size of woodcocks, and the hen flared her tail and hurried away low the ground, as they do, emitting that anxious, mewling, diversionary call.
 Juvenile chestnut-sided warbler. Not a minute later, I heard more fledglings in the trees—and the alarm peeps of a phoebe. Perhaps the Beech Nut birds? Possible, I suppose. They were only about a hundred yards away.
A Savannah sparrow called still from the grassy roof of the hut. A song sparrow nearby. Waxwings zipping about. More house finches. And returning, a frantic flurry of young robins moved through, testing their newfound expertise at flight.
Dueling hermit thrushes in the shady lower woods. And a solitary eastern wood-pewee.
The birds will stay a while. Their nests, having served their purpose, will melt away.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 5:30 p.m., I hiked the wooded trails.
1. Red-eyed vireo (v)
2. Chestnut-sided warbler
3. Ovenbird (v)
4. American robin*
5. Gray catbird* (v)
6. American redstart (v)
7. Common yellowthroat*
8. Eastern towhee
9. Veery
10. Hermit thrush (v)
11. Cedar waxwing*
12. Song sparrow*
13. Black-and-white warbler (v)
14. Black-capped chickadee* (v)
15. House finch*
16. Northern flicker (v)
17. Ruffed grouse
18. Eastern phoebe
19. Savannah sparrow (v)
20. American goldfinch*
21. Rose-breasted grosbeak (v)
22. Eastern wood-pewee (v)
Elsewhere
23. American crow
24. Northern cardinal (v)
25. Herring gull
26. Rock pigeon
27. Mourning dove
28. Chipping sparrow (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
 House finch.
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, gray catbird, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern flicker, ovenbird, red-eyed vireo, rock pigeon, rose-breasted grosbeak, ruffed grouse, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, veery
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Monday, June 25th, 2012
 Savannah sparrow. The forecast called for rain today, so when all we got was overcast until mid-afternoon, I decided to take a quick bike ride. Within a minute of setting out, I felt drizzle on my cheeks—but it didn’t last long, and I managed my usual route from post office to post office. However, on the way back, I found myself staring at a great darkness looming in front of me. Made it within a mile from home before the rain began to fall. About three minutes later, I pulled into the drive to the sound of thunder. Whew.
 Cedar waxwing. But there was still a hike with dog to be had. Waited an hour or so, checked the weather radar, and saw what looked to be a little letup. So off we went.
Well, it wasn’t raining hard, but it was raining. By the time we’d gotten about half-way up the wooded Beech Hill trail, both Jack and I were soaked. Then again, I got to hear and/or see a lot more birds than I imagined I would. Started slow—singing chestnut-sided warbler, chickadees, towhee—but as we neared the summit, things got really interesting when we stumbled on a grouse with chicks. The adult hissed at us and moved away from the trail, and the little light-colored chicks fluttered their new wings into the brush and vanished. I didn’t want to traumatize the little family, though, so we didn’t stick around.
At the summit I saw both phoebe and Savannah sparrow. Also a solitary goldfinch. And a few loose flocks of waxwings. Heard a yellowthroat and a yellow warbler and a catbird.
Down in the woods, I heard my first ovenbird of our hike, and soon after I heard a red-eyed vireo singing a sort of half-assed song. Vireos just don’t like to sing in the rain, I’ve decided.
 Eastern towhee. After our return home, it began to rain harder. No hermit thrush singing out back tonight. Can’t say as I much blame him.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 4:30 p.m., I hiked the wooded trails.
1. Chestnut-sided warbler
2. Black-capped chickadee (v)
3. Eastern towhee
4. American redstart* (v)
5. Cedar waxwing*
6. American robin* (v)
7. Ruffed grouse
8. Veery (v)
9. Gray catbird* (v)
10. Eastern phoebe
11. Savannah sparrow
12. American goldfinch*
13. Common yellowthroat*
14. Yellow warbler (v)
15. Ovenbird (v)
16. Red-eyed vireo (v)
Elsewhere
17. House finch (v)
18. Northern cardinal (v)
19. American crow
20. Herring gull
21. Mourning dove
22. Chipping sparrow (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-capped chickadee, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, gray catbird, herring gull, house finch, mourning dove, northern cardinal, ovenbird, red-eyed vireo, ruffed grouse, savannah sparrow, veery, yellow warbler
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
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| Bird Report is a (sometimes intermittent) record of the birds I encounter while hiking, see while driving, or spy outside my window. —Brian Willson |
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