The air was clean and cool and dry, the sky was blue with a few clouds, the breeze was fickle, and the birds were furtive—but present. What a beautiful morning.
Right away a thrush appeared, hopping up the trail. Before long, a couple-three woodpeckers, a crow and a jay, a wood-pewee, nuthatches… At the summit, dog and I met a friend we hadn’t seen in a while, and we had a good, long chat. A swallow showed up—and a very loud military jet (first I recall seeing up there).
And, at the end of our hike, a Blue Jay on a blue sky day.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:45 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Hermit Thrush 2. Downy Woodpecker (v) 3. Red-eyed Vireo (v) 4. American Crow* (v) 5. Black-capped Chickadee** 6. Blue Jay 7. Brown Creeper (v) 8. Eastern Wood-pewee 9. White-breasted Nuthatch** 10. Red-bellied Woodpecker 11. American Redstart 12. Pileated Woodpecker 13. Eastern Towhee 14. Gray Catbird 15. American Goldfinch (v) 16. Yellow-rumped Warbler (v) 17. Eastern Phoebe 18. Song Sparrow** 19. Osprey 20. Turkey Vulture 21. Ruby-throated Hummingbird 22. Tree Swallow
Elsewhere
23. Northern Cardinal (v) 24. Mourning Dove
Mammals
Eastern Gray Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Captain Jack and I got wet this morning. I’d gone to bed last night expecting early thundershowers, but I awoke to just plain fog. Checked the weather radar, and rain was approaching, but it looked to be more than an hour away. So we set off.
We headed up the main trail, where at least I’d get a picture of my favorite birch tree. Foggy, for sure. Few bird species (fewer seen (fewer photographed)), but pretty fun being up there in the dampness and mists. At first I didn’t expect we’d go far, but I decided to visit the woods for a bit. ended up doing the loop, and on our return, the rain came.
Yep, we got soaked. It was amazing. Didn’t last overly long—our return down the open trail was dry (and less foggy)—but the sweet memory will remain.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:35 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. American Goldfinch 2. Song Sparrow* 3. Eastern Towhee 4. Gray Catbird 5. Common Yellowthroat 6. American Crow (v) 7. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 8. Black-capped Chickadee** 9. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 10. Blue Jay 11. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 12. Tufted Titmouse
This was an odd, windy, hazy, crazily quiet morning. Had no birds on my list until dog and I had walked about half way up the lower wooded trail—the distant caw of a crow. Next I heard woodpeckers excavating a tree up ahead: a pair of Pileated Woopeckers.
Weird.
For the rest of our hike, I counted a dozen other species. Fourteen total. The lowest number since our return to Maine
Yard bird.
Come early afternoon, after the sun emerged and the air warmed into the 80s, and I decided to take a twelve-mile bike ride—I counted several additional species. And came eye to eye with a turkey right out the kitchen window.
Eerie.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:29 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. American Crow** (v) 2. Pileated Woodpecker 3. Eastern Towhee 4. Cedar Waxwing 5. Red-breasted Nuthatch 6. Herring Gull* 7. American Goldfinch 8. Song Sparrow 9. American Robin (v) 10. Yellow-rumped Warbler 11. Gray Catbird 12. Black-capped Chickadee** 13. Red-eyed Vireo 14. Blue Jay (v)
Elsewhere
15. Mourning Dove 16. Carolina Wren (v) 17. Wild Turkey 18. Rock Pigeon 19. Osprey (v) 20. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
Mammals
Eastern Gray Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
