Ah, what a lovely cool, clear, breezy morning. As we headed up through the woods, dog and I, we encountered more birds than in the past few days—and a few notable species not encountered in a good while. A Philadelphia Vireo, for instance, and the call of a Canada Warbler, and a juvie chippy poking about in the canopy.
The largest mouthful of caterpillars, however, belonged to a clucking Hermit Thrush which agreeably posed for a photo.
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:09 a.m. EST (8:09 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Blue Jay (v) 2. Tufted Titmouse (v) 3. American Goldfinch** 4. Red-eyed Vireo 5. White-breasted Nuthatch 6. Eastern Wood-pewee 7. Black-capped Chickadee 8. Black-and-white Warbler 9. Chipping Sparrow 10. Philadelphia Vireo† 11. Hermit Thrush 12. Ovenbird 13. Eastern Towhee (v) 14. American Crow* 15. Canada Warbler† 16. Gray Catbird** (v) 17. Common Yellowthroat** (v) 18. Song Sparrow 19. Turkey Vulture 20. Herring Gull* 21. American Redstart 22. Cedar Waxwing
Elsewhere
23. Mourning Dove 24. Northern Cardinal (v) 25. Wild Turkey
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Blue sky, cool temps, and a nice breeze greeted dog and me as we started up the wooded trail. Plenty of birds were there to greet us, too.
It didn’t seem at first that I’d have much of a list, but the higher we got, the more birds I saw or heard. And then—as has happened in recent days—we hiked a ways down the Erickson Fields trail down toward Beech Hill Road and added a bunch more species.
Notable today was a first-of-year Canada Warbler. I didn’t get a look at it, but the Merlin app insisted that’s what made the quick little jumble of a warble I was hearing across the road—and after we got home I matched my GoPro recording with the Cornell Labs’. (Wish I’d got a peek.)
Similar weather expected tomorrow. Will I encounter another first of year?
Beech Hill List Beginning at 6:31 a.m. sun time (7:31 DST), I hiked all trails.
A mostly cloudy hike this morning, and cool, with a tiny bit of breeze. Truly a lovely hike with dog—and anxious-seeming birds.
They know the photoperiod is shortening, and it won’t be long before migration beckons, and they’re flitting around, snatching up caterpillars, or flies, or grasshoppers—and/or berries.
One of the species I saw this morning is notable: a Baltimore Oriole. I’ve encountered the species three times in the past few days, and always (I’m pretty sure) poking about in the same few trees. I don’t see orioles often on the hill, so this has been pretty fun.
