Garter Snake scales.
I’ve had snakes on my mind
these past few warming days,
knowing from past years they should be
on the move by now.
Veery.
I even glimpsed the tail of one
that slipped into the grass along the trail.
Following Jack on the trail this morning,
I heard a soft rustling
in the leaves near my hiking boots—
“A snake, I bet,” is what I thought,
although I caught sight of nothing.
Perhaps a hundred feet along I heard
a similar sound and spied
a garter snake taking its low-key leave.
Tufted Titmouse.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 8 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Black-throated Green Warbler (v)
2. Chestnut-sided Warbler**
3. Ovenbird
4. White-breasted Nuthatch**
5. Red-eyed Vireo
6. American Goldfinch* (v)
7. American Robin*
8. Common Yellowthroat**
9. Veery
10. Northern Cardinal*
11. Osprey (v)
12. Gray Catbird*
13. Broad-winged Hawk (v)
14. Eastern Towhee
15. Mourning Dove**
16. American Crow*
17. Alder Flycatcher
18. Black-and-white Warbler (v)
19. Song Sparrow** (v)
20. Yellow Warbler**
21. Blue Jay (v)
22. Nashville Warbler
23. Brown Thrasher†
24. Eastern Phoebe*
25. Tree Swallow
26. Savannah Sparrow
27. Tufted Titmouse (v)
28. Field Sparrow (v)
29. Turkey Vulture
30. Eastern Bluebird (v)
31. Purple Finch (v)
32. Scarlet Tanager (v)
33. American Redstart
34. Brown-headed Cowbird
Elsewhere
35. European Starling
36. Chipping Sparrow
37. Herring Gull
v = Voice only
*Also Elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird
