Sunny, warm morning—but with a cooling breeze. Very quiet early, although a few birds began to pipe up before long. Noteworthy was a bunch of parental activity: feeding the youngsters, keeping them in line, distracting a human and a dog from finding them out.
Ripening blueberries.
Spied a female Pileated Woodpecker hunting for food in the forest floor down in the trees
Bluebirds still looking to nest in the summit box. Phoebe in the north peak of the hut. And blueberries seemingly ripening fast.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:45 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are not uncommon. They nest at Beech Hill, where I hike with Captain Jack every day. But they’re shy birds—frequenting the high canopy, where all the leaves are, and all too quick to fly.
I heard a grosbeak’s sweet melodic song as we climbed the hill this morning. As I had most mornings for the past couple weeks or so. Over that time, I only got one glimpse of the bird: a quick flitting image zipping away around a stand of trees.
Today, while at the summit, a rose-breasted’s song erupted from the spruce grove, not fifty feet away. Snuck over to the other side, so the sun would illuminate the bird, took a few steps back.
And there he was.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:45 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
This morning was sunny and humid and full of busy birds—food to find, multiple mouths to feed, dangers to watch out for. It’s that time of year when the adults will hop up and holler at you, presenting lots of photo ops. Nice.
Wood lilies (first of year).
It’s also that time of year—right around the Fourth of July—when the wood lilies bloom. And when the wood lilies bloom, I know to look for young blueberries. And, what do you know, there they were.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:45 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Veery 2. Black-and-white Warbler 3. American Robin 4. Hairy Woodpecker 5. American Redstart 6. Chipping Sparrow 7. Common Yellowthroat 8. Ovenbird 9. American Crow 10. Gray Catbird 11. Chestnut-sided Warbler 12. Yellow Warbler 13. Tree Swallow 14. Northern Flicker 15. Red-winged Blackbird 16. Nashville Warbler 17. Field Sparrow 18. American Goldfinch 19. Song Sparrow 20. Eastern Bluebird 21. Eastern Phoebe 22. Cedar Waxwing 23. Black-capped Chickadee 24. Purple Finch 25. Tufted Titmouse 26. Rose-breasted Grosbeak 27. Mourning Dove
Elsewhere
28. Herring Gull 29. Rock Pigeon 30. House Sparrow 31. Wild Turkey
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
