Well, wasn’t this morning’s a fun birding excursion. Dog and I hit the trail kind of early—same time as yesterday, pretty much—but things seemed awfully quiet to start. Then, as we approached the edge between woodlands and open fields, all heaven broke loose.

Heard (and saw) Red-bellied Woodpeckers. Flushed a couple of turkeys. Then at the little summit spruce grove, where a fly hatch was going on, a couple unexpected species showed up. Most notably, a little group of orioles (first of year). But also a solitary Least Flycatcher, which must’ve been having a field day up there.

Also, at one point, I heard a Killdeer fly overhead. Random.

Random, but really cool.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7:14 a.m., I hiked most trails.

1. American Goldfinch**
2. American Crow*
3. Red-eyed Vireo**
4. Black-throated Green Warbler (v)
5. Pileated Woodpecker (v)
6. Mourning Dove* (v)
7. Eastern Wood-pewee
8. Black-capped Chickadee**
9. Hermit Thrush (v)
10. Blue Jay (v)
11. Tufted Titmouse
12 White-breasted Nuthatch**
13. Red-bellied Woodpecker
14. Northern Flicker (v)
15. Wild Turkey
16. Eastern Towhee
17. Alder Flycatcher
18. Common Yellowthroat
19. Gray Catbird
20. Cedar Waxwing
21. Song Sparrow
22. Yellow Warbler (v)
23. American Robin
24. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
25. Baltimore Oriole†
26. Field Sparrow (v)
27. Eastern Phoebe
28. Least Flycatcher
29. Black-and-white Warbler
30. Eastern Bluebird
31. Savanna Sparrow (v)
32. Downy Woodpecker
33. Killdeer (v)
24. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v)
35. Northern Cardinal (v)
36. Hairy Woodpecker

Elsewhere

37. Herring Gull
38. Chipping Sparrow (v)

Mammals

White-tailed Deer (v)

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