Oddly, it being a Saturday, dog and I didn’t meet anyone else on the trail this morning. Not counting wild birds. Because the air—chilly though it was—still seemed awful springy.
Notable on the list were the cries of a Red-shouldered Hawk, the booming drums of a partridge, and a harrier flyby. Bluebirds and yellow-rumps still, along with woodpeckers, tits, corvids, a couple gulls, and a sweetly singing Song Sparrow.
Supposed to snow a little tonight and rain tomorrow, but I don’t expect it to be any less springy.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 6:46 a.m. (7:46 fake time), I hiked all trails.
This morning dawned hazy clear, with temps about freezing and hardly any wind. I expected some bluebirds maybe, but maybe not much else—and I was kinda wrong on both counts. For one thing, the number of species started rising quickly; for another, no bluebirds until we’d started back up over the hill.
Notable were junco, loon, and Red-shouldered Hawk, but most interesting was the number of yellow-rumps.
Yellow-rumped Warblers have been hanging around all winter. They seem to like to hang out with bluebirds. Today was no exception: returning over the summit, we encountered four bluebirds and four ’rumps. It’s fun for me to try to imagine how come these two species like to hang out together.
Otherwise, at home early, I heard (then spied) a gang of five redwings. Spring is most definitely here.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:12 a.m. (8:12 stupid DST), I hiked all trails.
The storm had passed, and the temperature had risen to the point that big glops of wet snow had begun to drop from the whitened trees by the time dog and I headed up to the wooded trailhead. We got there kind of early.
Blue, blue skies, lighter winds, temps above freezing—several birds made their appearances known right away. It seemed a little like a bluebird day, but a bit windier and chillier, so the first thrill happened when, as we were nearing the summit, I heard the voice of a bluebird. I wondered if it was singing from the box at the top of the hill—and it was.
Cardinals, chickadees, and titmice singing. Also, toward the end of our hike, a Red-shouldered Hawk in flight somewhere out toward the bay.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 6:53 a.m. (7:53 stupid DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Northern Cardinal** (v) 2. Tufted Titmouse (v) 3. Black-capped Chickadee** 4. American Crow* 5. American Goldfinch** (v) 6. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 7. American Robin (v) 8. Eastern Bluebird 9. Yellow-rumped Warbler (v) 10. Blue Jay** (v) 11. Pileated Woodpecker (v) 12. Red-shouldered Hawk (v)
