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Posts Tagged ‘belted kingfisher’
Friday, May 2nd, 2014
 Broad-winged Hawk. Fog this morning, but warmer. And by the time Jack and I got to Beech Hill, the water droplets clinging to the budding twigs were glistening in the rising sun. And I saw a Broad-winged Hawk.
 Palm Warbler. I was still in the truck when I saw the hawk swoop between the tree trunks and perch high in the canopy. When we got out, it flew a bit farther away, perched again. As we approached that perch, it took off again. And this pattern continued for a couple hundred feet—until I finally got a (rather distant) photo of the bird, no doubt just arrived.
I say “just arrived” because I saw another four broad-wings moving overhead during today’s early hike, one pair and two other individuals. They were issuing their impossibly high-pitched squeee! calls. I also saw a Sharp-shinned Hawk.
And a ton of other birds—or, at least many ounces of ’em.
Among the surprises were: two Great Blue Herons flying over (one calling); a very vocal Brown Thrasher; a madly rattling Belted Kingfisher. All first-of-year birds. Also memorable were the new waves of Palm Warblers and Yell0w-rumped Warblers and Ruby-crowned Kinglets. (A big spring for kinglets.) Still a bunch of cowbirds around, more than any year I can remember. And a solitary, singing Red-winged Blackbird perched at the tip of a tree.
Perhaps most noteworthy, though, is that I overdressed this morning. Today, for the first time in 2014, it truly felt like spring.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Broad-winged Hawk
2. Hermit Thrush
3. Black-capped Chickadee*
4. Palm Warbler
5. Eastern Phoebe
6. Yellow-rumped Warbler
7. Northern Flicker
8. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
9. American Robin
10. Eastern Towhee
11. American Goldfinch**
12. American Crow*
13. Pileated Woodpecker (v)
14. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
15. White-throated Sparrow
16. Great Blue Heron†
17. Brown-headed Cowbird
18. Blue Jay (v)
19. Tree Swallow (v)
20. Field Sparrow (v)
21. Song Sparrow**
22. Savannah Sparrow
23. Chipping Sparrow
24. Brown Thrasher†
25. Red-winged Blackbird
26. Belted Kingfisher† (v)
27. Osprey
28. Downy Woodpecker
29. Sharp-shinned Hawk
30. Northern Cardinal** (v)
31. Tufted Titmouse (v)
32. House Finch** (v)
33. Herring Gull*
34. Mourning Dove* (v)
Elsewhere
35. House Finch (v)
36. Double-crested Cormorant
37. European Starling
38. Rock Pigeon
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, belted kingfisher, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, broad-winged hawk, brown thrasher, brown-headed cowbird, chipping sparrow, downy woodpecker, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, European starling, field sparrow, great blue heron, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern flicker, osprey, palm warbler, pileated woodpecker, red-winged blackbird, rock pigeon, ruby-crowned kinglet, savannah sparrow, sharp-shinned hawk, song sparrow, tree swallow, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch, white-throated sparrow, yellow-rumped warbler
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
Sunday, August 11th, 2013
 Penobscot Bay from Beech Hill. I knew it was going to happen today. I knew it after I managed to mow the overlong grass yesterday. And the gloriousness of this Sunday settled it. And in afternoon, I set off.
 Truckin’. I rode first to Rockland, a trip of couple miles or so, thinking that if my busted clavicle started aching I could just come back and abandon my plan, but it didn’t ache, and I kept riding. Stopped at the co-op and bought some food, kept riding up to Rockport, where I bought a new helmet to replace the one I ruined three weeks ago. Kept riding up to Camden, where I bought beer and brownies. Rode twenty miles today, and didn’t feel that much worse for wear.
Then I hiked Beech Hill with Jack.
Another spectacular day, with plenty of other hikers. Not many evident birds again—and none that would prose for photos—but the grass was long, and the clouds white and benign, and the bay an inviting blue.
I’d do it all over again tomorrow, if I could.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 4:45 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Eastern towhee (v)
2. American crow*
3. American goldfinch** (v)
4. Common yellowthroat (v)
5. Chestnut-sided warbler
6. Cedar waxwing**
7. Gray catbird* (v)
Elsewhere
8. House sparrow (v)
9. Black-capped chickadee (v)
10. Northern cardinal
11. Herring gull
12. Broad-winged hawk (v)
13. Osprey
14. Rock pigeon
15. White-breasted nuthatch (v)
16. Belted kingfisher
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, belted kingfisher, black-capped chickadee, broad-winged hawk, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, common yellowthroat, eastern towhee, gray catbird, herring gull, house sparrow, northern cardinal, osprey, rock pigeon, white-breasted nuthatch
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
Thursday, September 29th, 2011
 Red-eyed vireo (juvenile). Monhegan List
(In no particular order.)
1. Common yellowthroat
2. Yellow-rumped warbler
3. Baltimore oriole
4. Red-eyed vireo
5. American crow
6. Common raven
7. American kestrel
8. Merlin
9. Peregrine falcon
10. Sharp-shinned hawk
11. Bald eagle
12. Cedar waxwing
13. Blue jay
14. Song sparrow
15. Swamp sparrow
16. Lark sparrow
17. Chipping sparrow
18. Northern flicker
19. Yellow-bellied sapsucker
20. Downy woodpecker
21. European starling
22. Common grackle
23. Rusty blackbird
24. American goldfinch
25. Carolina wren
26. Golden-crowned kinglet
27. Black-capped chickadee
28. Red-breasted nuthatch
29. Brown creeper
30. Herring gull
31. Great black-backed gull
32. Double-crested cormorant
33. Great cormorant
34. Mallard
35. Black duck
36. Belted kingfisher
37. Northern cardinal
38. Mourning dove
39. Northern mockingbird
40. Ring-necked pheasant
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American kestrel, bald eagle, Baltimore oriole, belted kingfisher, black duck, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, brown creeper, Carolina wren, Cedar waxwing, chipping sparrow, common grackle, common raven, common yellowthroat, double-crested cormorant, downy woodpecker, European starling, golden-crowned kinglet, great black-backed gull, great cormorant, herring gull, lark sparrow, mallard, merlin, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern flicker, northern mockingbird, peregrine falcon, red-breasted nuthatch, red-eyed vireo, ring-necked pheasant, rusty blackbird, sharp-shinned hawk, song sparrow, swamp sparrow, yellow-bellied sapsucker, yellow-rumped warbler
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
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| Bird Report is a (sometimes intermittent) record of the birds I encounter while hiking, see while driving, or spy outside my window. —Brian Willson |
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