Rained overnight, overcast this morning, and wet trails greeted dog and me as we headed up, a bit later than usual. Nobody else around at first. Plenty of birds, though, including most all the usual suspects.
Windy at the summit, small birds in the trees and large ones in the air. Among the large ones was an unseen raven, at least three vultures, and a Red-shouldered Hawk carrying what sure looked like a red squirrel. Also ran into some friendly acquaintances, which was nice
Alas, in the woods where the tanager sang the past couple days—nothing. I hope against hope we didn’t scare it off yesterday.
Best poser of the day: a very still Black-and-white Warbler, carrying food back to what is surely a nest full of fledglings.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:47 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Red-eyed vireo** (v) 2. Ovenbird 3. Song Sparrow** 4. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 5. Eastern Phoebe** 6. American Crow* 7. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 8. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (v) 9. Hairy Woodpecker (v) 10. American Redstart (v) 11. Chestnut-sided Warbler (v) 12. American Goldfinch** (v) 13. Cedar Waxwing 14. Black-and-white Warbler 15. Alder Flycatcher 16. Common Raven (v) 17. Yellow Warbler (v) 18. Eastern Towhee 19. Gray Catbird 20. Field Sparrow (v) 21. Purple Finch (v) 22. Chipping Sparrow 23. Prairie Warbler (v) 24. Common Yellowthroat (v) 25. Turkey Vulture 26. Red-shouldered Hawk 27. House Wren (v) 28. Tree Swallow 29. Hermit Thrush (v) 30. Veery
Elsewhere
31. Mourning Dove 32. Herring Gull 33. Rock Pigeon
Mammals
Gray Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
After hearing the song of a vagrant Summer Tanager yesterday, I wondered if I might hear the bird again this lovely June morning. And, sure enough, in the woodlands just below where I heard it yesterday, there it was again.
So I decided that dog and I would slip off trail to see, for the first time, the only fully red songbird in North America—and perhaps even snag a photo. [Note: I saw my very first Summer Tanager, a comely yellow female, a few weeks ago not far from this same spot.] Tell you what, it takes a lot to convince me to leave the trail into the realm of ticks and poison ivy.
We snuck toward the song and got quite near, but the bird seemed to be singing high in the canopy, with smaller leafy trees blocking my view. We moved slowly around for perhaps ten minutes, and it kept singing—until, suddenly, I heard my first real life alarm notes from this species. Decided to call off the search in hopes we hadn’t chased this fancy vagrant away.
Guess maybe we’ll find out tomorrow.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:10 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Red-eyed vireo** (v) 2. Ovenbird 3. Song Sparrow** 4. Common Yellowthroat (v) 5. Eastern Phoebe* 6. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 7. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 8. Hermit Thrush (v) 9. Veery 10. Chestnut-sided Warbler 11. Brown Creeper (v) 12. American Crow* 13. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 14. Black-and-white Warbler (v) 15. Eastern Towhee 16. American Goldfinch** 17. Tufted Titmouse 18. Summer Tanager (v) 19. American Robin* 20. Alder Flycatcher 21. Gray Catbird 22. Chipping Sparrow (v) 23. Purple Finch 24. Prairie Warbler (v) 25. Field Sparrow 26. Tree Swallow 27. Turkey Vulture 28. Osprey 29. House Wren 30. Broad-winged Hawk 31. Cedar Waxwing 32. American Redstart (v) 33. Northern Parula (v)
Elsewhere
34. Herring Gull 35. House Sparrow 36. Rock Pigeon
Mammals
Gray Squirrel Meadow Vole
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Harder to spot wild birds in the woodlands when the trees are all leafed out. Lately, I’ve spent a lot of time just staring up into the green canopy in the general direction of a bird’s song, Jack standing patiently by.
But still I got a photo or two.
We met a few friendly people on the hill, dog and I. And a nice selection of bird species showed up. Most notably, I heard the song of a vagrant Summer Tanager (which I’d first mis-ID’d as a grosbeak, but later confirmed). Will see if it’s still around tomorrow.
Meanwhile, here’s a photo of a nuthatch.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:52 a.m., I hiked most trails.
