Again we encountered relatively few bird species this warm, muggy morning, dog and I. However, one of my early sightings was a Broad-winged Hawk in the woodlands. Broad-wings are forest hawks, and I see a few every year. Typically, I’ll spy one when it leaves a perch to fly a little distance away from an approaching dog and human. Most of the time I can find their new perch—which is what happened this morning.
Also noteworthy was a singing Blue-headed Vireo, a sign (to me, at least) that birds are beginning to think about fall migration. Can hardly wait.
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:04 a.m. EST (8:04 DST), I hiked all trails.
Yet another warm, humid morning—albeit not quite as warm or humid as the past couple of days. Many more species than yesterday, including a few raptors, among them a first harrier since last spring (sign of early migration).
Several species posed for photos, too, but my favorite happened to be a woodpecker who posed for the last photo I took this day.
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:15 a.m. EST (8:15 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Blue Jay (v) 2. Red-eyed Vireo (v) 3. Black-capped Chickadee 4. Tufted Titmouse (v) 5. Gray Catbird (v) 6. American Crow* 7. Hermit Thrush 8. Eastern Towhee (v) 9. Black-and-white Warbler (v) 10. Eastern Phoebe 11. Common Yellowthroat 12. Cedar Waxwing 13. Yellow-rumped Warbler 14. American Goldfinch** (v) 15. Northern Harrier 16. Osprey* 17. Sharp-shinned Hawk 18. Song Sparrow 19. Broad-winged Hawk 20. Hairy Woodpecker
Another nippy morning—low-60s (F) to start—that warmed into a lovely late-summer day. On the hill, birds were stirring, including one species I hadn’t encountered since spring: Scarlet Tanager. I heard a high, loud, abrupt call that I didn’t recognize coming from up in the wooded canopy. Turned out to be a female tanager. (Learned another bird call today!)
