A similar start to yesterday’s hike—rather late up the main trail, overcast, damp, nippy, calm—but with a little sun brightening things up after a while. The sun also warmed things up. And birds were active.
Notable were a pair of larks, a loon in overflight, the croaks of a raven—and a rare glimpse of a Pileated Woodpecker.
Pileateds themselves aren’t rare in the woods, but they’re good at making themselves scarce. Often you’ll hear their loud, distinctive call, and sometimes you can track one by its especially loud hammering. But I do love to get a peek at these lovely birds. Today’s female posed for a photo.
Beech Hill List Starting at 8:04 a.m. EST (9:04 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Song Sparrow (v) 2. Blue Jay 3. Yellow-rumped Warbler** 4. American Crow* 5. American Goldfinch 6. Common Yellowthroat (v) 7. Hairy Woodpecker 8. Northern Flicker 9. Common Loon 10. Horned Lark 11. Tufted Titmouse (v) 12. Eastern Towhee (v) 13. Black-capped Chickadee 14. Hermit Thrush 15. Brown Creeper (v) 16. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v) 17. White-breasted Nuthatch 18. Common Raven (v) 19. Pileated Woodpecker
Elsewhere
20. Herring Gull 21. Northern Cardinal
Mammals
Eastern Gray Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Our ceiling on this morning’s hike was a gray overcast, and the air was damp and breezy. The forecast rain would not arrive until later in the day, though, so we’d keep comparatively dry, dog and I. And there was no shortage of bird species—including three corvids.
Of the three—crow, jay, and raven—the most notable was the solitary raven flying above us, accompanied by a single crow. (The crows were many and vocal, apparently gearing up for their annual October convention on the hill.)
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:19 a.m. EST (8:19 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. American Crow* 2. White-breasted Nuthatch** (v) 3. Black-capped Chickadee 4. American Robin (v) 5. White-throated Sparrow (v) 6. American Goldfinch 7. Yellow-rumped Warbler 8. Northern Flicker (v) 9. Blue Jay (v) 10. Song Sparrow 11. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v) 12. Brown Creeper (v) 13. Common Raven 14. Gray Catbird (v) 15. Red-eyed Vireo
Elsewhere
16. Mallard 17. Herring Gull
Mammals
Eastern Chipmunk (v)
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Another bright, breezy fall morning—but a bit warmer than yesterday. The winds were still unfavorable, migration-wise, but birds were about. Three species in particular were active: chickadees, yellow-rumps, and jays.
The Blue Jays were especially vocal and traveled in little roving bands. I even heard one deliver a pretty accurate Broad-winged Hawk whistle.
Smart birds, jays (as are all corvids). I often wonder what’s on their minds.
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:30 a.m. EST (8:30 DST), I hiked all trails.
