Welp, we’re supposed to get quite the winter snowstorm tonight and tomorrow, part of a continent-wide weather system crossing the country east to west. So today stood as a sort of blue-sky respite: chilly, a bit breezy, but lovely—and with quite a few nice birds.
Bluebirds still, along with the usual other suspects and a too-shy Brown Creeper. But most exciting was the last bird on my morning list—a lone Bald Eagle flying by in the mostly blue sky above the Beech Hill summit.
Tomorrow, from what I gather, dog and I will be hiking in snow up an already snowy hill. (Will report back.)
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:53 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Tufted Titmouse (v) 2. American Crow* 3. Black-capped Chickadee** 4. Downy Woodpecker (v) 5. Hairy Woodpecker (v) 6. American Goldfinch 7. White-breasted Nuthatch** 8. Brown Creeper 9. Eastern Bluebird 10. American Robin 11. Bald Eagle
Elsewhere
12. Carolina Wren 13. Herring Gull 14. Rock Pigeon
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
The day dawned chilly. Not yet freezing, but in the 30s (F). Still, a bright sun rising lent an air of expectation to the morning.
Nothing much at first, though. Captain Jack didn’t mind, but a little breeze chilled my fingers. During our ascent through the woods, I counted only five bird species.
Nearing the summit, though, things got a bit interesting: flicker, junco, nuthatch. Rounding out our usual circuit (down and back up the main trail), I added several more (jay, sparrow, gull, another nuthatch species), and returning through the woods, I managed to bump the list up to fifteen.
But the excitement this day was my managing to get my first look at a Carolina Wren that’s been singing in the trees around my house. It even stopped moving for long enough for me to grab a candid photo.
Thanks, CW!
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:06 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Black-capped Chickadee** 2. American Crow* 3. Downy Woodpecker 4. American Robin 5. Yellow-rumped Warbler 6. Northern Flicker 7. Dark-eyed Junco 8. White-throated Sparrow (v) 9. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 10. Blue Jay 11. Song Sparrow (v) 12. Herring Gull* 13. White-breasted Nuthatch 14. Purple Finch (v) 15. Hairy Woodpecker
Elsewhere
16. Northern Cardinal (v) 17. Rock Pigeon 18. Carolina Wren
Mammals
Eastern Gray Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Overcast and chilly when dog and I headed up to the preserve. Ordinarily I’d take us to the main trail, where the open air would brighten things photographically—but I spied a scrap or two of blue, so decided on the wooded trailhead. It was the right decision. Not only did the sun emerge, but the morning got warm and humid in a hurry.
And a bunch of birds showed up.
Corvids, nuthatches, thrushes, finches, warblers, woodpeckers, sparrows. Many, many yellow-rumps (about 90, I figured) and a good-sized flock of robins. Surprised a woodcock (no photo, dangit). But the highlight was likely a solitary Blackpoll Warbler—first of year on the hill for me.
No photo of the blackpoll, but here’s a Hermit Thrush.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:25 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. American Crow 2. Yellow-rumped Warbler 3. American Goldfinch (v) 4. Blue Jay (v) 5. Brown Creeper 6. Black-capped Chickadee 7. Eastern Bluebird (v) 8. Blackpoll Warbler 9. Purple Finch 10. Tufted Titmouse (v) 11. Northern Flicker (v) 12. American Robin 13. Eastern Towhee (v) 14. Hermit Thrush 15. American Woodcock 16. White-throated Sparrow 17. Gray Catbird 18. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 19. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 20. Savannah Sparrow 21. Osprey 22. Song Sparrow (v) 23. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 24. Downy Woodpecker (v) 25. Ruby-crowned Kinglet (v)
Elsewhere
26. Carolina Wren (v) 27. Herring Gull 28. Rock Pigeon
Mammals
Eastern Chipmunk Eastern Gray Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
