Today dawned foggy. Very, very foggy. When dog and I started up the trailhead, it felt like we were wandering around in a cloud. Foggy, wet, calm—and yet surprisingly birdy for such conditions. Many Yellow-rumped Warblers still, along with bunches of chickadees in the woods.
Most notable was a solitary White-crowned Sparrow that had been chasing after a yellow-rump when it decided to stop and check the trail for seeds. I only see white-crowns at just about this time of year.
Onward!
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:58 a.m. EST (8:58 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. American Crow* (v) 2. White-throated Sparrow (v) 3. Yellow-rumped Warbler 4. Northern Flicker (v) 5. White-crowned Sparrow† 6. Eastern Towhee 7. Gray Catbird (v) 8. American Robin (v) 9. Song Sparrow 10. Tufted Titmouse (v) 11. Black-capped Chickadee 12. Blue Jay** (v)
Elsewhere
13. Northern Cardinal (v) 14. Mourning Dove 15. Wild Turkey 16. Herring Gull 17. Rock Pigeon 18. Canada Goose (v)
Mammals
Eastern Chipmunk (v)
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
This first day of autumn brought a morning much like yesterday’s: sunny, cool, and fragrant. It also brought a surprising bird species: a Horned Lark. They’re not rare on the hill, but they typically come in small flocks. I rarely see just one, as I did today. An immature male, the bird was poking around the edges of the main trail—and at one point got very near to dog and me as we stood still, and I took photos.
Another oddball was a Nashville Warbler (haven’t seen any since spring, and few then), adult and juvie Hermit Thrush, and a bunch of the usual suspects.
All in all, a fun one.
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:24 a.m. EST (8:24 DST), I hiked all trails.
What a difference a day makes, so they say. Yesterday galloped in like a wild river rider, fast and bucking and splashing water all over everything. Today dawned cloudless and merely breezy. As expected, fallen branches littered all preserve trails (along with a couple of toppled trees). I managed to neaten things pretty well, though—and was rewarded with a nice selection of bird species.
Notable were a hummingbird, a fish hawk, a vulture. And elsewhere—including a pleasant drive down a coastal peninsula—a kingfisher, geese, and an eagle.
Simply a lovely September day.
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:28 a.m. EST (8:28 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Black-capped Chickadee** (v) 2. Blue Jay** (v) 3. Tufted Titmouse (v) 4. Red-eyed Vireo (v) 5. Gray Catbird 6. American Crow* 7. American Goldfinch (v) 8. Osprey 9. Eastern Towhee (v) 10. Ruby-throated Hummingbird 11. Turkey Vulture* 12. American Robin (v) 13. Cedar Waxwing 14. Northern Flicker** (v) 15. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 16. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
Elsewhere
17. Herring Gull 18. Belted Kingfisher 19. Rock Pigeon 20. Canada Goose 21. Bald Eagle
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
