Cool early as dog and I hit the shady trailhead, but warm in a hurry as the sun rose on a humid day. Birds still flitting about, readying for their inevitable travels. Nice selection of species.
Notable: Chimney Swifts, and a Least Flycatcher enjoying the summit fly hatch (along with waxwings). A random Wood Thrush down in the woodlands. Distant gulls. A random Cooper’s Hawk (I believe the first I’ve seen since our return to Maine).
Especially happy to have had a Savannah Sparrow—my favorite sparrow, as certainly I’ve mentioned before—perch and pose for me.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:33 a.m., I hiked most trails.
It was warm—about 71° (F)—when dog and I arrived at the trailhead rather early. Still some sun shining through the clouds, but the clouds were supposed to take over, with rain possible later in the day. Not many birds to start, but once we hit the edge between woods and fields, my species numbers kinda took off.
Young Red-bellied Woodpecker, sapsucker in the woods, a few Brown Creepers, jay and crow and raven. Most notable: a group of about fifteen cawing crows approached the summit on our return—and I spied what the source of their attention: a first-of-year Northern Harrier.
Still no rain tonight, but it’s supposed to start in the wee hours and rain much of tomorrow. We shall see what kind of hike we take. Exciting!
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:11 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo (v) 2. Hermit Thrush (v) 3. American Crow* 4. American Goldfinch 5. Black-capped Chickadee** (v) 6. Eastern Wood-pewee 7. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 8. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (v) 9. Brown Creeper 10. Tufted Titmouse** (v) 11. Common Yellowthroat 12. Gray Catbird 13. Alder flycatcher (v) 14. Eastern Towhee** 15. Red-bellied Woodpecker 16. Eastern Phoebe 17. Downy Woodpecker (v) 18. American Robin* (v) 19. Yellow Warbler 20. Mourning Dove* 21. Cedar Waxwing 22. Song Sparrow* 23. Northern Flicker 24. Least Flycatcher 25. Blue Jay (v) 26. Northern Harrier† 27. Common Raven (v)
Got up to the trail head early, dog and I. And, wow, what a day.
Noteworthy:
Wild Turkey poult in tree.
• a first-of-year Chimney Swift flew over as we approached the summit • a Wood Frog appeared on the lower wooded trail, expertly camouflaged • a White-tailed Deer bounded away as we reached the summit (and for the first time I heard the alarm call of a white-tailed deer—since this one must’ve had a fawn or two nearby) • a group of about sixteen turkeys flushed as we returned down the upper trail, with the many poults flying up into the trees
I’d redo this hike again, if I could. (Ahh, summertime!)
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:07 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo** 2. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 3. Hermit Thrush (v) 4. Ovenbird (v) 5. American Goldfinch** 6. Tufted Titmouse (v) 7. Black-and-white Warbler 8. Chestnut-sided Warbler 9. Northern Cardinal** (v) 10. American Crow* 11. Black-capped Chickadee 12. American Robin* (v) 13. American Redstart 14. Downy Woodpecker 15. Northern Flicker (v) 16. Eastern Wood-pewee 17. Blue Jay (v) 18. Eastern Towhee 19. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 20. Brown Creeper (v) 21. Common Yellowthroat 22. Turkey Vulture 23. Gray Catbird (v) 24. Yellow Warbler 25. Song Sparrow** 26. Cedar Waxwing 27. Chimney Swift† 28. Alder Flycatcher (v) 29. Field Sparrow 30. Red-breasted Nuthatch** (v) 31. Prairie Warbler (v) 32. Savannah Sparrow 33. Wild Turkey
Elsewhere
34. Rock Pigeon 35. Broad-winged Hawk (v)
Mammals
Eastern Chipmunk White-tailed Deer
Amphibians
Wood Frog
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
