A coolish, calmish, dryish morning with plenty of buzzing mosquitos—and a good plenty of bird species, too. An amazing array, in fact: four thrushes, three woodpeckers; a passel of warblers; lots of sparrows.

Most notable—a quiet juvenile Black-billed Cuckoo that showed up in a shady place about 20 feet in front of us, dog and me. We even managed to stay still enough to grab portrait.

I’ll take a day like today any day.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7:18 a.m., I hiked most trails.

1. Veery
2. American Goldfinch**
3. Ovenbird (v)
4. Red-eyed Vireo**
5. American Crow*
6. Black-capped Chickadee
7. Black-throated Green Warbler (v)
8. Tufted Titmouse (v)
9. White-breasted Nuthatch
10. Wood Thrush (v)
11. Northern Cardinal** (v)
12. Chestnut-sided Warbler**
13. Hairy Woodpecker (v)
14. Hermit Thrush (v)
15. Pileated Woodpecker (v)
16. Brown Creeper (v)
17. Black-and-white Warbler (v)
18. Common Yellowthroat
19. Black-billed Cuckoo
20. Gray Catbird*
21. Song Sparrow**
22. Yellow Warbler
23. Mourning Dove*
24. Northern Flicker
25. Cedar Waxwing
26. Chipping Sparrow (v)
27. American Robin*
28. Purple Finch
29. Eastern Towhee
30. Prairie Warbler (v)
31. Savannah Sparrow
32. Field Sparrow (v)
33. Alder Flycatcher
34. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v)
35. American Redstart (v)
36. Blue Jay (v)
37. Downy Woodpecker
38. Osprey (v)

Elsewhere

39. House Sparrow
40. Herring Gull

Mammals

Eastern Chipmunk

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