This morning dawned cool but warmed up quickly. Dog and I proceeded up the trail amid clouds of mosquitos and the voices of many birds.
Notable were Red-breasted Nuthatch, Black-billed Cuckoo, a Common Loon in flight, a first-of-year Brown Thrasher, and a pair of vocal (first-of-year) Red-shouldered Hawks having some kind of relationship high in the sky.
I got quite a few photos, too—but I’ve decided to post the last one of our hike: a Hermit Thrush, posing near the trailhead.
Supposed to be showery tomorrow. We shall see.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:47 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Ovenbird** 2. Red-eyed Vireo** 3. Common Yellowthroat 4. Eastern Phoebe* 5. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 6. Black-and-white Warbler (v) 7. Tufted Titmouse (v) 8. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 9. American Goldfinch** 10. Cedar Waxwing 11. Veery 12. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 13. American Redstart** 14. Hairy Woodpecker 15. Northern Cardinal** (v) 16. Chestnut-sided Warbler** 17. Eastern Towhee 18. Gray Catbird 19. Alder Flycatcher 20. Black-billed Cuckoo (v) 21. Scarlet Tanager (v) 22. Common Loon (v) 23. Song Sparrow** 24. Prairie Warbler (v) 25. Yellow Warbler 26. American Robin* 27. Tree Swallow 28. American Crow* 29. Chipping Sparrow** (v) 30. Blue-headed Vireo (v) 31. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 32. House Wren 33. Great Crested Flycatcher (v) 34. Brown Thrasher† 35. Broad-winged Hawk 36. Red-shouldered Hawk† 37. Savannah Sparrow (v) 38. Hermit Thrush
Elsewhere
39. Mourning Dove
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Another rainy morning, but Jack and I managed to miss most of it early. Our hike was marked by wave upon wave of Yellow-rumped Warblers—scores of them moving through. Also vireos, sparrows. And a Wilson’s warbler that posed for a moment not ten feet from me, but with the dimness (and my one-handed camera grip) I didn’t manage a photo.
Oh, well.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:45 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. American Crow*
2. Black-capped Chickadee
3. American Goldfinch (v)
4. Yellow-rumped Warbler
5. Song Sparrow
6. American Robin (v)
7. Philadelphia Vireo
8. Eastern Towhee (v)
9. Red-shouldered Hawk
10. Eastern Bluebird
11. Northern Flicker (v)
12. Red-eyed Vireo
13. Wilson’s Warbler
14. Dark-eyed Junco
This morning on the hill I saw two pairs of immature buteos—Red-shouldered Hawks and Broad-winged Hawks—and one smaller, unidentified raptor (possibly a Cooper’s Hawk). Hawks on the move, and young songbirds persisting.
It’s mid-August, and the brains of the birds are beginning twitch in anticipation..
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:30 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
