A wonderfully overcast day. I love sunny days, of course, and snowy winter days, and days of every other kind of skies—but every so often comes a special overcast that seems to me protective, like a blanket. This was one of those.
What’s more, lots of birds—including a couple of firsts-of-year: Red-eyed Vireo and Great Crested Flycatcher. (Also a two firsts elsewhere.) And plenty of other resident species have yet to arrive, which makes for the certainty of near-future excitement.
Also had the honor of holding a Red-bellied Snake, for a moment, gently. The snake was another first of year.
The trails were dry this morning for the first time in a while, but a few overnight rain showers are forecast, then sun tomorrow. Already imagining what sort of day it’ll be.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 6:18 a.m. sun time (7:18 DST), I hiked all trails.
Was supposed to rain lightly today, but dog and I awoke to a foggy morning. And it remained foggy—a thick fog, a calm atmosphere—throughout our two-hour hike up the hill.
Didn’t expect much in the way of photos—and wasn’t sure of bird numbers, either—but was pleasantly surprised in both cases. Had thirteen species, and a few half-way-decent photos, a first-of-year kinglet, and a decent pic of a female Pileated Woodpecker.
Pretty sure we’re supposed to get a little sun tomorrow. Maybe we’ll even get another first-of-year bird.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 6:58 a.m. (7:58 stupid DST), I hiked all trails.
1. American Robin 2. American Crow* 3. Black-capped Chickadee** 4. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v) 5. Blue Jay (v) 6. Herring Gull* (v) 7. Eastern Bluebird 8. Pileated Woodpecker 9. Ruby-crowned Kinglet† 10. Tufted Titmouse (v) 11. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 12. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 13. Red-winged Blackbird (v)
Elsewhere
14. European Starling (v) 15. Mallard 16. Rock Pigeon
Mammals
American Red Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
You can count on the crows and the chickadees. Even in deepest winter (granted, not quite as deeply icy cold as it used to be), most days these two bird species will make themselves known around here.
E.g., the first bird call I heard after stepping out of the truck today was a crow. It took about a half-hour to hear a chickadee—but a few were active during my hike with dog this morning. A mostly overcast, mostly breezy, chilly, interest morn.
Ran into a trail friend (and her dog) and we hiked together for a while, which was fun. Only got a distant photo of a robin.
Later, however, some birds showed up: a red-tail flying across a Route 1 parking lot in Rockland, and a crow posing for a portrait in Glen Cove. But possibly the most auspicious sighting was a tiny flying insect on the Beech Hill wooded trail. Certain a sign of spring
Won’t be long now.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:00 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. American Crow* 2. Tufted Titmouse** (v) 3. Black-capped Chickadee** (v) 4. American Robin 5. Downy Woodpecker (v)
Elsewhere
6. American Goldfinch (v) 7. Herring Gull 8. Red-tailed Hawk 9. European Starling 10. House Sparrow (v)
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
