It seemed a little early to have a tanager show up on the hill during my morning hike with dog, but there he was. I heard him first—as is nearly always the case—and crept up close enough for a photo. Last year I don’t believe I encountered a tanager at all (not sure), but know I didn’t see one. They used to arrive in late May, early June. A sign of warming? Likely so.

Coincidentally, about the same time I spied the tanager, I noticed an Olive-sided Flycatcher perched high on a small snag, with nothing but blue sky beyond. Those were the only firsts-of-year on our hike this morning.

But what a fun and lovely morning it was.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:05 a.m. sun time (7:05 DST), I hiked all trails.

1. Ovenbird**
2. Chestnut-sided Warbler
3. Black-throated Green Warbler** (v)
4. American Goldfinch
5. Common Yellowthroat (v)
6. Blue Jay**
7. American Restart (v)
8. Tufted Titmouse (v)
9. Purple Finch (v)
10. Northern Parula (v)
11. American Crow*
12. Veery (v)
13. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (v)
14. Black-and-white Warbler
15. Eastern Towhee
16. Scarlet Tanager†
17. Olive-sided Flycatcher†
18. Gray Catbird (v)
19. Black-capped Chickadee
20. Field Sparrow (v)
21. Yellow Warbler
22. Song Sparrow (v)
23. White-throated Sparrow
24. Ruffed Grouse (drumming)
25. Yellow-rumped Warbler
26. Chipping Sparrow
27. Eastern Bluebird
28. Tree Swallow
29. Eastern Phoebe
30. Osprey
31. Turkey Vulture
32. Broad-winged Hawk
33. Prairie Warbler (v)
34. Pine Warbler** (v)
35. Blue-headed Vireo (v)
36. Nashville Warbler (v)
37. Baltimore Oriole (v)
38. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)

Elsewhere

39. Mallard
40. Mourning Dove
41. Wild Turkey

(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year