Another clear cool morning, with a slight breeze. Really beautiful fall woods and fields and sky. Also quite a few birds on the hill.
A couple of thrush species, a couple of corvids, a couple of finches, a couple of woodpeckers, a couple of nuthatches, four sparrows. A gull. Many, many yellow-rumps (again). Other native year-round species—and a kestrel at the end.
Cloudy tomorrow, some rain next week. A rich and varied place this is.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:09 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Ruby-crowned Kinglet (v) 2. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 3. Blue Jay 4. Yellow-rumped Warbler 5. Brown Creeper 6. Eastern Bluebird (v) 7. Purple Finch (v) 8. American Crow 9. Black-capped Chickadee 10. Hairy Woodpecker (v) 11. American Robin (v) 12. American Goldfinch (v) 13. Northern Flicker (v) 14. White-throated Sparrow 15. Eastern Towhee (v) 16. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 17. Savannah Sparrow 18. Song Sparrow 19. Mourning Dove 20. Herring Gull 21. American Kestrel
Mammals
American Red Squirrel Eastern Gray Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
I knew it was gonna rain today. The forecasts called for a good soaking. But I suspected there might be a morning lull—as there often is around her—and sure enough! So dog and I headed just as the green on the weather radar passed us by.
Wet up there, but not raining exactly. Windy as heck, which was fun. In fact, the whole atmospheric feeling was one of excitement, urgency, and life in the moment.
Few bird species (few birds!), and few photo ops (rain and wind), but we had some fun up there.
(Notable was another kestrel in flight—but this day it was speeding along, with the wind, at what appeared to be at least 60 miles and hour. No way I can photograph such a thing, alas.)
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:10 a.m., I hiked the main trail.
1. American Crow* 2. Tufted Titmouse (v) 3. Hermit Thrush (v) 4. Yellow-rumped Warbler 5. Northern Flicker 6. White-throated Sparrow (v) 7. American Robin 8. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 9. Song Sparrow 10. American Kestrel 11. Northern Cardinal** (v) 12. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
The morning was warmer—50s (F)—but mostly overcast and quite breezy when dog and I headed up to Beech Hill. Some blue showed through, though, and I thought about hitting the wooded trailhead, but decided on the main trail. Good decision, as very little sun lit up the landscape, and the light was better out in the barrens.
Crows again—couple dozen of ’em. Can’t decide if their great annual convention is about to start, or perhaps warming and dryness and maybe other factors have affected this great event. The wind was nice and cool and I loved the sky and the smell and the muted-yet-wildly-colorful landscape—all kinds of lovely surroundings.
Saw a kestrel, saw a red-tail—both noteworthy. Only one woodpecker, only one robin (unlike recent days). Migration continues but this morning seemed as muted as the day.
Might be a quick hike tomorrow, as a big rain’s a-comin’.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:10 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Tufted Titmouse (v) 2. Yellow-rumped Warbler 3. Purple Finch (v) 4. Common Yellowthroat (v) 5. American Crow 6. Black-capped Chickadee 7. Blue Jay (v) 8. American Kestrel 9. Northern Flicker (v) 10. White-throated Sparrow 11. Dark-eyed Junco 12. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 13. Gray Catbird (v) 14. Ruby-crowned Kinglet 15. American Robin (v) 16. Savannah Sparrow 17. Red-tailed Hawk
Elsewhere
18. Northern Cardinal (v)
Mammals
Eastern Gray Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
