Such a sunny morning. So spring-like. (Which makes sense, I guess, considering it’s spring.) The snow of two days ago turned out to be—naturally—benign. Most of it had melted already by the time the morning grew old. The temperature soon lifted high into the 40s (F), and birds were singing everywhere. Through the windows I heard song sparrows, house finches, crows. While doing breakfast dishes I looked out to see what at first appeared to be a person, perhaps a child in costume, stooping down and moving about in the neighbor’s yard. But it wasn’t a person, it was a turkey. A male wild turkey, in full display.

I stepped out and at once heard a phoebe calling—first of the year. Then juncos from the low trees out back. The juncos were chipping and trilling. And then I heard a thin call from above and looked up to see a pair of bohemian waxwings perched high in the branches of the big oak. House sparrows chirped. Chickadees singing fee-bee!

I decided this would be a good day to begin my taxes and proceeded to spend more than four hours looking for last year’s return. I quickly found the previous ten years’ returns but then ended up doing some major spring cleaning—going through piles of paperwork, tossing out old magazines, filing keepsakes and old letters, uncovering important notes and receipts and letters—until I finally found what I was looking for in the back of a filing cabinet downstairs. Whew.

At that point it was time to get out in this beautiful, cloudless day.

As dog and I pulled into the parking lot, I could see that others had been there. Maybe only one or two others, but certainly we weren’t the only ones to take advantage of the fair weather by hiking the wooded Beech Hill trails. The track had gone slushy already, and plenty of muddy earth showed through. I heard chickadees right away and robins before long. I wondered if the fox sparrows would still be hanging around—and they were. Figured we’d head clear to the summit, so we did. Whereas the forest trails had been relatively calm, it was really blowing up there.

We rounded Beech Nut and were about to head back down when I spotted a big bird floating on the breeze down over the crest of the southern slope. A hawk. A harrier, I felt sure, but it dipped down before I could get a good look. Well, that was all it took to convince me to take Jack down the open trail (where he wanted to go anyway). We descended around the first long curve, and I saw the bird again up toward the summit. A harrier, no question. I watched it rise, head into the wind, then wheel about and soar quickly back around to our left and off down the eastern hillside. Tried for some photos but got only blurry ones. First of many harriers up there in 2011, I’m sure.

Not much happening down the lower trail, but we did meet a young couple ascending with a dog. We exchanged pleasantries, agreed that it was a lovely day. As we walked, the upper branches of the young hardwoods clattered and squeaked in the wind. Stopping to listen, I thought how much this ambient woodland music sounded like human voices—like unintelligible conversations at a dinner party.

Back home, a junco flitted away as I pulled in. A cardinal was singing in the distance—and another chipped nearby. I watched it hop around in the bare oak and maple branches for a while. Heard a pileated woodpecker’s call. Then a hairy woodpecker’s.

Later, in gloaming, I stepped out and was listening to a woodcock’s peent! from across the road when I noticed a large silhouette perched on an oak branch overhanging the parking lot. The shape had “ears.” A great horned owl. Not the best conditions for photographs, but I sure tried. The owl finally grew tired of my attentions and flew off up the hill.

An achingly starry night tonight. But I hear tell that more precipitation will soon be on its way.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 3:15 p.m., I hiked the wooded trails.

1. Black-capped chickadee
2. American robin
3. Fox sparrow
4. Northern harrier

Elsewhere

5. American crow
6. Wild turkey
7. Dark-eyed junco
8. House finch
9. House sparrow
10. Eastern phoebe
11. Song sparrow
12. Bohemian waxwing
13. Herring gull
14. Northern cardinal
15. Pileated woodpecker
16. Hairy woodpecker
17. American woodcock
18. Great horned owl