A cool, cloudless morning. Dog and I arrived at the hill in time to hear the sounds of early bird species awakening—and, later, the music of later sleepers. A couple of oddballs (including a Song Sparrow that began its tune with two clear, ringing notes of differing pitches.
My favorite of the day, though, were the juvie bluebirds.
Beech Hill List Beinning at 7:30 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Red-eyed Vireo** (v) 2. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 3. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 4. American Crow* 5. Black-capped Chickadee** (v) 6. Eastern Towhee 7. Song Sparrow 8. American Goldfinch 9. Chestnut-sided Warbler 10. Common Yellowthroat 11. Gray Catbird* 12. Eastern Phoebe* 13. Northern Flicker (v) 14. Ovenbird (v) 15. Field Sparrow (v) 16. Mourning Dove* (v) 17. Purple Finch (v) 18. Tufted Titmouse** 19. Cedar Waxwing 20. Eastern Bluebird 21. Blue Jay (v) 22. Chipping Sparrow* 23. Common Raven (v) 24. Yellow Warbler (v) 25. Northern Cardinal (v)
Each year is different. This one’s had way more mosquitos than usual—and also Chipping Sparrows. Don’t know how come the species has been reproducing like crazy, but these days it seems like every conifer you wander past has got some serious chatter of adult and fledglings.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:30 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Red-eyed Vireo (v) 2. Tufted Titmouse (v) 3. Black-throated Green Warbler 4. Song Sparrow** 5. American Robin 6. Chestnut-sided Warbler** 7. Eastern Towhee 8. Common Yellowthroat** 9. Alder Flycatcher 10. Yellow Warbler (v) 11. Chimney Swift 12. Ruby-throated Hummingbird 13. Eastern Bluebird (v) 14. Field Sparrow (v) 15. Hermit Thrush (v) 16. Veery (v) 17. Chipping Sparrow* 18. Cedar Waxwing 19. American Goldfinch** (v) 20. American Crow* 21. Eastern Phoebe* 22. Gray Catbird* 23. Great Crested Flycatcher (v) 24. Blue Jay (v) 25. Black-capped Chickadee (v)
Elsewhere
26. Herring Gull 27. Mourning Dove 28. Rock Pigeon
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Beech Hill List Beginning at 3:15 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
Song Sparrow.
Rained all morning, cleared up in afternoon. Dried up in a hurry. Cool, a bit breezy. But as we didn’t get to the hill until mid-afternoon, the birds were somewhat scarce.
Had nice interactions with fellow members of the human species, though.
1. Eastern Phoebe* 2. Red-eyed Vireo (v) 3. American Robin (v) 4. Chestnut-sided Warbler 5. Eastern Towhee (v) 6. American Crow* (v) 7. Common Yellowthroat (v) 8. Song Sparrow** 9. Alder Flycatcher (v) 10. Eastern Bluebird 11. Gray Catbird* (v) 12. American Goldfinch** (v) 13. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 14. Chipping Sparrow* (v)
Elsewhere
15. Herring Gull 16. Rock Pigeon 17. Mourning Dove
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Bird Report is an intermittent record of what's outside my window in Rockport, Maine, USA (44°08'N latitude, 69°06'W longitude), and vicinity. —Brian Willson
