Sun and clouds and a chill and a breeze. Quite a number of birds moving through, though. The funnest part of this morning’s hike was as Jack and I were returning down the wooded trail, near where warblers use a little spring-fed, hollowed out bowl of stone as a birdbath. Just as we passed, a little passel of migrating warblers flitted through.
Among them was a Blackburnian Warbler. It’s been year’s since I’d seen one. I figure the little bird had to be tired and hungry for flying all last night in the teeth of a brisk north wind.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:30 a.m. I hiked the open trail.
1. American Robin* (v) 2. Northern Cardinal** (v) 3. American Redstart 4. Tufted Titmouse** (v) 5. Ovenbird** (v) 6. Chestnut-sided Warbler** 7. Northern Parula 8. Black-capped Chickadee** (v) 9. Eastern Towhee 10. American Crow* 11. Gray Catbird** 12. Common Yellowthroat** 13. Black-throated Green Warbler 14. Turkey Vulture 15. Blue Jay** 16. Pileated Woodpecker (v) 17. American Goldfinch 18. Yellow Warbler 19. Herring Gull* 20. Song Sparrow** 21. Tree Swallow 22. Field Sparrow (v) 23. Common Raven 24. Nashville Warbler (v) 25. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 26. Blackburnian Warbler 27. Black-and-white Warbler 28. Blue-headed Vireo
Had a little thunder last night, and forecasts were for more of same this morning. Instead, we got thick fog and fairly steady light rain, interspersed with dry periods—but overall a mostly dark overcast sky. Except at the end of the day, when blue sky and a rainbow appeared.
The challenge this morning was keeping my camera lens dry enough and/or fog-free enough to achieve hard focus in the such light.
Toward the end of our relatively uneventful hike, we came open a little flurry of birds—warblers and two flycatchers (Least and Great Crested).
Fun day.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:30 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Tufted Titmouse (v) 2. Ovenbird** 3. American Redstart** 4. Northern Parula (v) 5. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 6. Black-capped Chickadee 7. Wood Thrush (v) 8. Chestnut-sided Warbler** 9. Blue Jay (v) 10. American Crow* 11. Gray Catbird (v) 12. Common Yellowthroat (v) 13. Eastern Towhee 14. Song Sparrow (v) 15. Black-and-white Warbler 16. Blue-headed Vireo (v) 17. Northern Cardinal** (v) 18. American Robin* (v) 19. Veery 20. Great Crested Flycatcher 21. Least Flycatcher (v)
Elsewhere
22. House Finch (v) 23 .Chipping Sparrow 24. Herring Gull 25. Common Grackle 26. European Starling (v) 27. Rock Pigeon 28. House Sparrow (v) 29. Mallard
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
An overcast day early, rain later. During the early part of it, Jack and I had a nice long ramble on the hill. More species heard than scene, and none too willing to pose for photos, but in all a very pleasant morning.
Tomorrow’s supposed to be kind of stormy. Will let you know.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:30 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. American Robin* 2. Ovenbird 3. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 4. American Redstart 5. Chestnut-sided Warbler 6. American Goldfinch 7. Northern Parula 8. Common Yellowthroat 9. American Crow* 10. Herring Gull* 11. Gray Catbird** 12. Nashville Warbler (v) 13. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v) 14. Least Flycatcher 15. Downy Woodpecker (v) 16. Northern Flicker (v) 17. Northern Cardinal (v) 18. Wood Thrush (v) 19. Veery (v) 20. Yellow Warbler 21. Eastern Towhee 22. Hermit Thrush 23. Black-and-white Warbler 24. Song Sparrow (v) 25. Tree Swallow 26. Blue-headed Vireo (v) 27. American Kestrel 28. Field Sparrow (v) 29. Pileated Woodpecker (v) 30. Eastern Phoebe (v) 31. Mourning Dove* (v) 32. Black-capped Chickadee 33. Tufted Titmouse** (v) 34. Barn Swallow 35. Black-throated Blue Warbler (v)
Elsewhere
36. House Finch (v) 37. Chipping Sparrow
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Bird Report is an intermittent record of what's outside my window in Rockport, Maine, USA (44°08'N latitude, 69°06'W longitude), and vicinity. —Brian Willson
