A rather auspicious hike with dog this morning. First, the sun emerged after a couple misty days, which mixed things up a bit. Second, we encountered lesser-seen species like hummingbirds, hawks, osprey. Third, we got closer to a wild raven than we ever have.
It was a young bird, and it was in the field near the trail, eating blueberries for breakfast. I’d been checking a birch across from the raven, where I thought I saw a warbler, when it croaked. Its nearness startled me. Just there, not thirty feet away. I managed to grab a few photos, even a video or two, while it popped blueberries into its mouth, croaking occasionally. Then it flapped up into the bird I’d been scanning and preened for a while.
I count it as something of a blessing.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:49 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Blue Jay 2. White-breasted Nuthatch 3. Black-capped Chickadee 4. American Crow 5. Red-eyed Vireo 6. Hairy Woodpecker 7. American Goldfinch 8. Eastern Wood-pewee 9. Red-bellied Woodpecker 10. Brown Creeper 11. Eastern Towhee 12. Gray Catbird 13. Cedar Waxwing 14. Purple Finch 15. Ruby-throated Hummingbird 16. Least Flycatcher 17. Black-throated Green Warbler 18. Savannah Sparrow 19. Song Sparrow 20. Cooper’s Hawk 21. Common Raven 22. American Robin 23. Common Yellowthroat 24. Broad-winged Hawk 25. Yellow-rumped Warbler 26. Osprey 27. Red-breasted Nuthatch 28. Hermit Thrush
Elsewhere
29. Mourning Dove 30. Herring Gull
Mammals
Eastern Gray Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Years ago, I climbed Beech Hill on a foggy morn, and when I reached the summit, a raven flew by, and let me take its photo. I recall being thrilled at that moment. It was almost as if we were both meant to cross paths like that—I’m sure it was the best photo of that foggy day
Today, as Jack and I reached the foggy summit, I thought of that big black bird and said aloud something like, “This’d be a good day to see a raven in the fog.”
Not five minutes later, rounding a curve in the trail, I spotted a raven sitting on a rock surrounded by wet foliage just in front of us. I froze. I took its photo. And before to long, it took wing and flew away in the fog.
(Lots of rain overnight. Ahhh.)
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:49 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Blue Jay (v) 2. Northern Cardinal (v) 3. Tufted Titmouse** 4. American Crow* (v) 5. Gray Catbird 6. Veery (v) 7. Eastern Towhee 8. American Goldfinch 9. Least Flycatcher (v) 10. Song Sparrow 11. Common Raven 12. Common Yellowthroat (v) 13. Black-capped Chickadee 14. Herring Gull 15. Black-throated Blue Warbler 16. Red-eyed Vireo
Elsewhere
17. Mourning Dove 18. Eastern Wood-pewee
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Cool early as dog and I hit the shady trailhead, but warm in a hurry as the sun rose on a humid day. Birds still flitting about, readying for their inevitable travels. Nice selection of species.
Notable: Chimney Swifts, and a Least Flycatcher enjoying the summit fly hatch (along with waxwings). A random Wood Thrush down in the woodlands. Distant gulls. A random Cooper’s Hawk (I believe the first I’ve seen since our return to Maine).
Especially happy to have had a Savannah Sparrow—my favorite sparrow, as certainly I’ve mentioned before—perch and pose for me.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:33 a.m., I hiked most trails.
