A morning much like yesterday’s after some overnight rain. A wetter landscape, with thicker fog and fewer bird species—but not that much thicker, and not all that fewer. In fact, we enjoyed it a lot, dog and me.
Had casual chats with several humans (and shared sniffs with a few dogs). Spied a quiet mama turkey (with likely tiny chicks around). Saw the thrasher again, and heard blackbirds. But the only decent photo I got was a portrait of a Cedar Waxwing (showing the reason it got its name). I rather liked the photo.
Supposed to be partly cloudy tomorrow morning, with possible thunderstorms about midday. Expect dramatic clouds.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:10 a.m. sun time (8:10 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Common Yellowthroat (v) 2. Red-eyed Vireo** 3. Ovenbird (v) 4. Chestnut-sided Warbler 5. Black-and-white Warbler** 6. Northern Cardinal** (v) 7. Song Sparrow* 8. Alder Flycatcher (v) 9. American Goldfinch 10. Eastern Towhee 11. Mourning Dove* 12. Field Sparrow (v) 13. Eastern Phoebe* 14. Rose-breasted Grosbeak 15. American Crow* 16. Yellow Warbler (v) 17. Cedar Waxwing 18. Eastern Bluebird 19. Gray Catbird** 20. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 21. Blue Jay (v) 22. Prairie Warbler (v) 23. American Robin* 24. American Redstart** 25. Hermit Thrush (v) 26. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 27. Tufted Titmouse (v) 28. Veery (v) 29. Scarlet Tanager (v) 30. Black-capped Chickadee** 31. Wild Turkey 32. Red-winged Blackbird (v) 33. Brown Thrasher
Elsewhere
34. Mallard 35. Herring Gull
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Dog and I hiked the hill in fog this morning. I love the fog. I wouldn’t love it if it covered the landscape every day of the year, but a day or two now and then feels rather comforting, protective.
In the fog today, I listed many birds—most from their voices. Notable was a Brown Thrasher in the same spot across the road where I last saw it weeks ago; I suppose it went quiet after finding a mate or something. Also heard a raven, had only one crow, and found another yellowthroat to pose for me.
Will be showery tomorrow. I don’t know what to expect, bird-wise—but I never really do.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:29 a.m. sun time (8:29 DST), I hiked all trails.
Up the trail early with dog on the mostly overcast morning of a day that would later find me down in a different town under a warm and sunny sky. Still many bird species on the hill, including an invisible Great Crested Flycatcher.
A lovely hike it was, then in afternoon I asked Jack to guard the house and headed with my expert gardener friend down to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens for the first time. It was a very cool trip to a very cool place, with very cool botanicals and very cool birds of another feather—a soaring eagle among them.
I’d live this lovely June day over again if I could.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 6:38 a.m. sun time (7:38 DST), I hiked all trails.
