Cool, breezy, sunny, birdy. What a lovely morning—complete with familiar voices. Birds were all over the place (young and old), so I wasn’t hurting for photographs.
We had ourselves the run of the hill this morning, oddly. Where were all the early Sunday morning hikers I’m accustomed to seeing? It was weird.
But that left more birds to pay attention to. A couple of minor oddities: Red-winged Blackbird in flight, and the voice of a (migrating?) Ruby-crowned kinglet. Many, many juveniles.
Dewy blueberries, too.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:15 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
I love the little Alder Flycatcher. These are shy birds, but the nest along he field edges of the preserve, and I’ve grown accustomed to their various subtle vocalizations (beyond their typical “free beer!” song).
Descending today, I heard the familiar Pip! alert sound of theirs coming from some greenery very near the trail. Of course Jack and I stopped so I could take a peek. The bird must’ve had fledglings nearby—otherwise I’d never have gotten close enough for this photo with a sprig of fireweed.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:30 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Red-eyed Vireo** (v) 2. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 3. American Goldfinch (v) 4. American Crow* (v) 5. Chipping Sparrow* (v) 6. Tufted Titmouse (v) 7. Eastern Towhee 8. Common Yellowthroat 9. Gray Catbird** 10. Cedar Waxwing 11. Song Sparrow** 12. Field Sparrow (v) 13. Yellow Warbler (v) 14. Chestnut-sided Warbler (v) 15. Eastern Phoebe* 16. Eastern Bluebird 17. Osprey 18. American Robin 19. Savannah Sparrow 20. Alder Flycatcher
Elsewhere
21. Wild Turkey 22. Northern Cardinal (v) 23. Rock Pigeon 24. Mourning Dove
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Each year is different. This one’s had way more mosquitos than usual—and also Chipping Sparrows. Don’t know how come the species has been reproducing like crazy, but these days it seems like every conifer you wander past has got some serious chatter of adult and fledglings.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:30 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Red-eyed Vireo (v) 2. Tufted Titmouse (v) 3. Black-throated Green Warbler 4. Song Sparrow** 5. American Robin 6. Chestnut-sided Warbler** 7. Eastern Towhee 8. Common Yellowthroat** 9. Alder Flycatcher 10. Yellow Warbler (v) 11. Chimney Swift 12. Ruby-throated Hummingbird 13. Eastern Bluebird (v) 14. Field Sparrow (v) 15. Hermit Thrush (v) 16. Veery (v) 17. Chipping Sparrow* 18. Cedar Waxwing 19. American Goldfinch** (v) 20. American Crow* 21. Eastern Phoebe* 22. Gray Catbird* 23. Great Crested Flycatcher (v) 24. Blue Jay (v) 25. Black-capped Chickadee (v)
Elsewhere
26. Herring Gull 27. Mourning Dove 28. Rock Pigeon
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Bird Report is an intermittent record of what's outside my window in Rockport, Maine, USA (44°08'N latitude, 69°06'W longitude), and vicinity. —Brian Willson
