Overcast, breezy, and chilly this morning when dog and I started up the open trail. Birds were about—more than in recent days—and clearly many looked to be migrants.
Notable was the dearth of species in the wooded trails until we happened upon a little gathering of vocal chickadees. Sure enough, in the leafy canopy above them, flitted nice selection of species—vireos, titmice, nuthatches. Heard flicker and Pileated Woodpecker. A blue-headed vireo even posed for a photo.
Rain tonight, clearing tomorrow. Soon the fun begins.
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:34 a.m. EST (8:34 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Pileated Woodpecker* (v) 2. Eastern Towhee (v) 3. Eastern Wood-pewee 4. American Goldfinch 5. Downy Woodpecker (v) 6. Blue Jay** (v) 7. American Robin (v) 8. American Crow* 9. Cedar Waxwing 10. Northern Flicker** 11. Gray Catbird (v) 12. Common Yellowthroat (v) 13. Black-capped Chickadee** 14. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 15. Tufted Titmouse 16. Chestnut-sided Warbler 17. Hermit Thrush 18. Blue-headed Vireo 19. Red-eyed Vireo (v) 20. Song Sparrow
Elsewhere
21. Carolina Wren (v) 22. Mourning Dove 23. Herring Gull 24. European Starling 25. Belted Kingfisher
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
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
The forecast rain didn’t arrive, and the fog at the beginning of my hike with dog vanished within about twenty minutes, but still I didn’t list too many bird species this morning. However, toward the end of this daily excursion of ours, we encountered another little mini fallout.
Today’s warbler species included redstart, yellow-rump, parula, and chestnut-sided. Chickadees and a vireo were a part of this antic collection of little flitting birds.
I love this time of year.
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:14 a.m. EST (8:14 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. American Crow* 2. Blue Jay** (v) 3. Black-capped Chickadee** 4. American Goldfinch 5. Gray Catbird** 6. Common Raven (v) 7. Common Yellowthroat (v) 8. American Robin 9. Savannah Sparrow 10. Eastern Bluebird (v) 11. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 12. Song Sparrow 13. Yellow-rumped Warbler 14. Red-eyed Vireo 15. Eastern Towhee 16. White-breasted Nuthatch** (v) 17. Pileated Woodpecker (v) 18. Northern Flicker (v) 19. Cedar Waxwing (v) 20. Turkey Vulture 21. Chestnut-sided Warbler 22. Northern Parula 23. American Redstart
