During our nearly three years in Utah, dog and I encountered a whole bunch of corvids—those smart, vocal birds like crows and jays. In fact, we’d nearly always come upon scrub-jays and magpies, with occasional ravens, rarely crows, and even more rarely, Steller’s Jays.

In Maine, I hear and/or see crows nearly every single day. This morning, I also heard Blue Jays—and I happened to hear the croak of a raven, as the bird flew over toward the bay.

I do love corvids, and I’ll miss those we got to know in Salt Lake City, but it’s sure nice to be back in the company of crows.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7:28 a.m., I hiked all trails.

1. American Crow*
2. Ovenbird
3. Black-throated Green Warbler (v)
4. American Goldfinch
5. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v)
6. Black-and-white Warbler
7. White-breasted nuthatch
8. Black-capped Chickadee**
9. Eastern Towhee
10. Blue Jay** (v)
11. Chestnut-sided Warbler
12. Yellow-rumped Warbler
13. Eastern Phoebe*
14. Tree Swallow
15. Song Sparrow*
16. Chipping Sparrow**
17. Savannah Sparrow (v)
18. Tufted Titmouse (v)
19. American Robin
20. Northern Cardinal*
21. Gray Catbird
22. Yellow Warbler†
23. White-throated Sparrow
24. Common Raven
25. Hermit Thrush

Elsewhere

26. Wild Turkey
27. Herring Gull
28. Broad-winged Hawk
29. Red-winged Blackbird
30. Mallard

(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year