This morning’s cool, sunny hike—the yellowish sun of late summer—came with a nice collection of bird species, but a more distracted lister. That’s because of the several conversations I had with fellow Beech Hill hikers.
Bobolink (female/juvie male).
It’s often that way. Jack and I are a friendly pair, and, well, these days trail chats are pretty much our only social life. These chats were good ones— inspiring, involving strangers and old pals, full of interesting coincidences. But I really lose count on such mornings.
I’m pretty sure I nailed things down, though. Most memorable, to me, will be the fact that I got my first halfway decent photo of a Maine hummingbird in a long while. (Haven’t seen many since our return.) Plus, a first-in-years Bobolink.
Rain expected on Wednesday. Tomorrow will be another dry one.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:25 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Blue Jay (v) 2. American Crow* (v) 3. American Goldfinch** 4. Red-eyed Vireo 5. Black-capped Chickadee 6. Red-breasted Nuthatch 7. Alder Flycatcher 8. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 9. White-breasted Nuthatch** (v) 10. Ovenbird (v) 11. Tufted Titmouse (v) 12. Brown Creeper (v) 13. Gray Catbird** 14. Eastern Towhee 15. Eastern Phoebe 16. Cedar Waxwing 17. Purple Finch 18. Yellow-rumped Warbler 19. Ruby-throated Hummingbird 20. Field Sparrow (v) 21. Song Sparrow** 22. Yellow Warbler (v) 23. Bobolink 24. Chestnut-sided Warbler 25. Northern Cardinal (v) 26. Least Flycatcher (v) 27. Common Yellowthroat 28. Wilson’s Warbler
Elsewhere
29. Carolina Wren (v) 30. American Robin (v) 31. Herring Gull
Mammals
American Red Squirrel
Reptiles
Eastern Garter Snake
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Flushed two woodcock this sunny morning. Flushed one of them twice. All three times I hunted carefully for youngsters but didn’t see any—although I didn’t want to pester the woodcock families too much.
Also saw my first Beech Hill Bobolink in at least three years. Also, somehow, ended up with thirty-three species on today’s list.
Later today there came a couple of thundershowers, which was fun.
More fun tomorrow.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:30 a.m., I hiked the open trail—and then some.
1. Eastern Bluebird 2. Blue Jay** 3. American Goldfinch 4. Veery (v) 5. American Woodcock 6. Chipping Sparrow* 7. Chestnut-sided Warbler** (v) 8. American Crow* 9. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v) 10. Alder Flycatcher 11. Ovenbird (v) 12. Tree Swallow 13. Eastern Towhee 14. Song Sparrow** 15. Field Sparrow (v) 16. Savannah Sparrow 17. Nashville Warbler (v) 18. Gray Catbird** (v) 19. Common Yellowthroat (v) 20. Eastern Phoebe* 21. Cedar Waxwing 22. Red-eyed Vireo** (v) 23. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 24. Hermit Thrush (v) 25. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 26. Black-throated Blue Warbler (v) 27. Black-capped Chickadee** 28. Bobolink 29. Herring Gull* 30. Great Crested Flycatcher (v) 31. Mourning Dove* (v) 32. Northern Cardinal** (v) 33. American Redstart (v) 34. American Robin*
Elsewhere
35. Mallard 36. European Starling
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Early fog burned off within an hour or so, and the black flies began to swarm. And the warblers began to swarm after them. Not as many species as yesterday, but still a bunch. No great photo ops, other than a few near misses, but the birds were generally cooperative.
And surprising: first-of-year Eastern Wood-pewee (a bunch of ’em) and Bobolink (heard its bouncy song in a large swath of grass near South Street). Perhaps the funnest sighting was a hummingbird flying by about about sixty feet above our heads, Jack and I.
We also saw a couple of deer.
The day actually turned out fairly sunny—a nice change-of-pace—and I mowed the lawn. Also heard Laughing Gulls out there.
Will be at Beech Hill again tomorrow. Will be foggy again, too, I hear.
P.S. If my hunches are correct, tomorrow will be the day I’ll hear my first Black-Billed Cuckoo.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 6:15 a.m., I hiked all trails.
