Up the trail early with dog on the mostly overcast morning of a day that would later find me down in a different town under a warm and sunny sky. Still many bird species on the hill, including an invisible Great Crested Flycatcher.
A lovely hike it was, then in afternoon I asked Jack to guard the house and headed with my expert gardener friend down to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens for the first time. It was a very cool trip to a very cool place, with very cool botanicals and very cool birds of another feather—a soaring eagle among them.
I’d live this lovely June day over again if I could.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 6:38 a.m. sun time (7:38 DST), I hiked all trails.
Got busy this morning and had a late start today. But yet another day of dramatic skies and—like yesterday—a list of thirty-nine bird species.
Most notable to me was the surprise appearance of a Wood Thrush right along the trail right in front of dog and me. I even managed a not-great photo of it. Also noteworthy was a solitary first-of-year Bank Swallow flying over the summit of the hill.
Looking forward to what tomorrow might bring.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 10:09 a.m. sun time (11:09 DST), I hiked all trails.
Another day when rain showers didn’t come early, as forecast. Instead, some blue sky appeared, and sun streamed down into the woodlands as dog and I headed up the trail. The sky was kind of amazing, actually—blue patches, big piled-up clouds with dark bottoms, reflections on the bay. And in our little birding patch, quite a few more species than in recent days.
Notable would be the random goose flying over, a Savannah Sparrow for a change, and just watching my old dog rolling over and over on the sweet green grass atop the hill. Matter of fact, I hiked up again in early afternoon with my friend’s young dog, when I added two species to my list (and heard of a sighting of a Mourning Warbler—which would be a new addition to the Beech Hill List—from a pair of birders coming down).
Quite a few birds posed for photos, even. And tomorrow’s forecast looks similar to today’s actual weather. That’d be real nice—I do love a variable, dramatic sky.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:30 a.m. sun time (8:30 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. American Redstart 2. Ovenbird 3. Red-eyed Vireo 4. Song Sparrow 5. Chestnut-sided Warbler 6. Eastern Wood-pewee 7. Black-and-white Warbler 8. Black-throated Green Warbler 9. Veery 10. Tufted Titmouse 11. Great Crested Flycatcher 12. Northern Cardinal 13. White-throated Nuthatch 14. Eastern Towhee 15. Scarlet Tanager 16. American Crow 17. Common Yellowthroat 18. Hermit Thrush 19. Alder Flycatcher 20. American Goldfinch 21. Yellow Warbler 22. Field Sparrow 23. Eastern Bluebird 24. Chipping Sparrow 25. Canada Goose 26. Turkey Vulture 27. Common Raven 28. Eastern Phoebe 29. Ruby-crowned Kinglet 30. Mourning Dove 31. Gray Catbird 32. Red-winged Blackbird 33. Rose-breasted Grosbeak 34. Savannah Sparrow 35. American Robin 36. Pileated Woodpecker 37. Broad-winged Hawk 38. Red-bellied Woodpecker
