Within seconds after dog and I started up the wooded trail this morning, my world shifted. Up ahead of us I saw that the big mama maple tree near the trailhead, likely progenitor of the many other maples in the sugarbush there, had fallen across the trail. A huge tree she was, and handsome enough that I’ve taken dozens (scores?) of photos of her over the years, and there before us lay her fat trunk and thick leafy branches—some of them broken, some nearby trees scraped from nearby trees… What a surprise, what a shock, what a sound she must’ve made at the end.
Somehow, we wiggled through the obstacles and continued on a hike that was very different from usual—and will surely be a memorable one.
Birds were good—two vocal, chasing ravens among them—but they were not the most notable part of this day.
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:09 a.m. EST (8:09 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo** (v) 2. American Goldfinch 3. Ovenbird** (v) 4. Wood Thrush (v) 5. Veery (v) 6. Blue Jay (v) 7. Pileated Woodpecker (v) 8. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 9. Black-capped Chickadee** 10. Common Raven 11. Osprey (v) 12. Brown Creeper (v) 13. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 14. Gray Catbird 15. Eastern Towhee 16. American Crow* (v) 17. Hermit Thrush (v) 18. Chestnut-sided Warbler 19. Alder Flycatcher (v) 20. Song Sparrow** 21. Ruby-throated Hummingbird 22. Common Yellowthroat 23. Field Sparrow (v) 24. Yellow Warbler (v) 25. American Robin (v) 26. Northern Flicker 27. Black-throated Green Warbler** (v) 28. Tufted Titmouse (v) 29. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v) 30. Eastern Bluebird (v) 31. Cedar Waxwing (v) 32. Eastern Phoebe 33. Black-and-white Warbler**
Elsewhere
34. Mallard 35. Mourning Dove 36. Herring Gull 37. House Finch 38. Swamp Sparrow† (v) 39. Red-winged Blackbird (v)
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Every day lately on my hike with dog I’ve seen and/or heard young birds of various species—warblers, finches, a cowbird once, and today a jay. A recently fledged jay is about the size of an adult but with a youngsters voice and a tendency to open its beak and flutter its wings like any fledgling looking for a handout from a parent.
After a couple of sunny, humid days, today’s fog and cooler temps proved a bit of a relief. After yesterday’s first-of-year wood lily, today I saw at least a dozen. Also dewy clover and meadowsweet. Ate a few dewy blueberries.
Foggy weather returns tomorrow, so I’ve heard.
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:29 a.m. EST (8:29 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Ovenbird 2. Red-eyed Vireo (v) 3. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 4. Northern Cardinal** (v) 5. American Goldfinch 6. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 7. Cedar Waxwing (v) 8. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 9. Veery** 10. Black-capped Chickadee 11. Northern Flicker (v) 12. Eastern Towhee 13. Blue Jay 14. American Crow* (v) 15. Downy Woodpecker (v) 16. Hermit Thrush (v) 17. Tufted Titmouse (v) 18. Chestnut-sided Warbler** 19. Common Yellowthroat 20. Gray Catbird 21. Field Sparrow (v) 22. Yellow Warbler 23. Song Sparrow 24. American Robin 25. Alder Flycatcher (v) 26. Hairy Woodpecker 27. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v) 28. Mourning Dove (v) 29. Savannah Sparrow 30. Black-and-white Warbler (v) 31. American Redstart 32. Chipping Sparrow (v)
Elsewhere
32. Eastern Phoebe (v) 33. Herring Gull
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Another clear and warm and muggy morn with interesting bird activity. Heard many youngsters of various species begging for meals; heard the call of a Red-bellied Woodpecker; saw both Turkey Vulture and Wild Turkey.
Most notable: a group of three or four fledgling Purple Finches giving their parent finch(es) reason for some frantic hunting-and-feeding activity.
Tomorrow morning’s supposed to be foggy. We shall see!
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:29 a.m. EST (8:29 DST), I hiked all trails.
