6 April 2026

Mild winter

January 7th, 2016
Arabesque, near Mount Battie, Camden, Maine, 07 January 2015.

Arabesque.

A seasonably chilly morning—albeit a bit warmer than it should be, probably. The call of a jay, ice swirls in the stream, the wing beats of a Mourning Dove. Got a lot of desk work done before heading up the hill with Jack.

Jack at Beech Nut, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 07 January 2016.

Jack at Beech Nut.

Not many hikers today, nor many bird species. In fact, I saw none at all but heard the voices of five—including a tree sparrow near the summit. Icy, slippery trail still. Nearly fell twice but managed not to. I’m sure I will at some point before the winter’s over.

Not a lot of winter in the forecast, though.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 3 p.m., I hiked the open trail.

1. Black-capped Chickadee** (v)
2. White-breasted Nuthatch* (v)
3. Northern Flicker (v)
4. American Tree Sparrow (v)
5. American Crow* (v)

Elsewhere

6. American Goldfinch (v)
7. Blue Jay (v)
8. Mourning Dove (wing beats)
9. Downy Woodpecker (v)
10. Rock Pigeon

v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere

 

Coppery afternoon

January 6th, 2016
Downy Woodpecker, near Mount Battie, Camden, Maine, 06 January 2015.

Downy Woodpecker.

A chilly morning, but another sunny one—and relatively calm for a change. Calm enough for a little ice to form here and there. And to make snow, I imagine, up at the Snow Bowl. The few backyard birds I saw out my little upstairs office window topped the number of species on my Beech Hill list.

Afternoon light, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 06 January 2016.

Afternoon light.

But my hike with dog was a good one. Slippery trail, but a number of others braved it. The highlight: a little flock of maybe a half dozen Snow Buntings flew over, tittering, as the coppery afternoon light began to fade.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 3:15 p.m., I hiked the open trail.

1. Black-capped Chickadee** (v)
2. Snow Bunting

Elsewhere

3. White-breasted Nuthatch
4. American Crow
5. American Goldfinch
6. Downy Woodpecker
7. Rock Pigeon
8. Mourning Dove

v = Voice only
**Voice only elsewhere

 

Two hikes

January 5th, 2016
Bluebird box, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 05 January 2016.

Bluebird box.

Got to hike Beech Hill twice today, thanks to J. S. asking me to help put half a dozen bluebird boxes on their posts this morning. The temperature when I first looked was 3 degrees (F), but it had gotten to 7 or 8 by the time I met her on the hill. Windy, though. Heard ravens.

The hut in afternoon, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 05 January 2016.

The hut in afternoon, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 05 January 2016.

Within an hour and a half, we’d got the houses attached (J did most of the work), facing east-southeast, then I returned in afternoon with Jack. Still nippy. Didn’t expect to see anyone else—but there were a couple other hikers (as there were this morning, impressively). Not many birds, true, but who could blame ’em?

Still, now, in a couple-three months, when the bluebirds feel like nesting, they’ll have their choice of fine accommodations.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 10 a.m.—and again at 3 p.m.—I hiked the open trail.

1. Common Raven (v)
2. American Crow*
3. Black-capped Chickadee (v)
4. American Goldfinch** *(v)
5. Yellow-rumped Warbler

Elsewhere

6. Blue Jay (v)
7. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
8. Herring Gull
9. Rock Pigeon
10. Canada Goose
11. Downy Woodpecker (v)

v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere

 

 
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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