
We had a lovely hike on the hill this morning, dog and I—many birds, big skies, just a very wonderful experience. But the highlight of this day happened at evening. About 8:30 this evening, in fact, at a friend’s house near Clam Cove, less than a mile from me. Off in the woods I heard the voice of a Chuck Will’s Widow.
Decades ago, I used to hear Eastern Whip-poor-wills here on the coast at night—multiples even. But for the past twenty years or more, the only goatsucker I’ve encountered has been (very rarely) a Common Nighthawk in flight. Chuck Will’s Widows aren’t even supposed to range this far north along the coast.
Made for an exciting day for me.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:45 a.m. sun time (7:45 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Eastern Phoebe
2. Ovenbird**
3. American Redstart** (v)
4. Common Yellowthroat
5. Northern Cardinal** (v)
6. Red-eyed Vireo** (v)
7. Chestnut-sided Warbler
8. Mourning Dove** (v)
9. Eastern Towhee
10. Tufted Titmouse (v)
11. American Crow*
12. Song Sparrow*
13. Chipping Sparrow (v)
14. American Goldfinch (v)
15. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (v)
16. Field Sparrow (v)
17. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v)
18. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v)
19. Northern Flicker
20. Alder Flycatcher (v)
21. Gray Catbird
22. Yellow Warbler
23. Eastern Bluebird
24. Black-and-white Warbler (v)
25. Purple Finch (v)
26. Osprey
27. Blue Jay** (v)
28. Common Raven (v)
29. Broad-winged Hawk
30. Hermit Thrush (v)
31. Eastern Wood-pewee (v)
32. Veery
33. Black-throated Green Warbler (v)
34. Scarlet Tanager
35. Brown Creeper (v)
36. Hairy Woodpecker (v)
37. Least Flycatcher (v)
38. Pileated Woodpecker (v)
39. Red-winged Blackbird (v)
Elsewhere
40. Mallard
41. Herring Gull
42. Double-crested Cormorant
43. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
44. Chuck Will’s Widow‡ (v)
Mammals
Eastern Chipmunk
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year
‡A lifer for me