The forecast said partly cloudy, but the sky said mostly overcast. Still, it wasn’t winter-cold, and there wasn’t too much of a breeze, so dog and I took off for the main trailhead early. Saw only one other hiker (and dog) up there.

And birds. A surprising number and variety. Since bird brains are able to detect changes in the photoperiod, and judging by certain activity up there this morning, I wonder if anthropogenic warming might mean an early spring? (I don’t mean astronomical spring, of course—just, you know, bird spring.) The particular little bit of activity that made me wonder this: a male bluebird with what appeared to be a nesting-material offering perched atop the summit bird box.

Numbers-wise, bluebirds were near the top (I counted 18 individuals), but robins breakfasting on Staghorn Sumac dupes topped that with at least 24.

A similar forecast for tomorrow. Looking forward to what the new day might bring.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 8:06 a.m., I hiked all trails.

1. White-breasted Nuthatch** (v)
2. Black-capped Chickadee**
3. Brown Creeper (v)
4. American Goldfinch**
5. American Crow* (v)
6. Eastern Bluebird
7. Yellow-rumped Warbler
8. American Robin
9. Downy Woodpecker
10. Hairy Woodpecker (v)

Mammals

Eastern Gray Squirrel

(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year