Sunny, warm, a bit windy. Not a lot of birdsong early, but things picked up toward the top of the hill.
Notable were a loon in flight (voice only), bunch of turkey vultures, waxwings, and a Great Crested Flycatcher.
Had a bunch of conversations with other humans who took advantage of the lovely weather to take a morning hike. Enjoyed it a lot—the conversation, this day, my dog.
More tomorrow!
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:57 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Northern Cardinal (v) 2. Red-eyed Vireo** (v) 3. Ovenbird** (v) 4. Common Yellowthroat** 5. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 6. American Goldfinch 7. Veery (v) 8. Chestnut-sided Warbler 9. Gray Catbird** 10. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 11. Eastern Towhee 12. Alder Flycatcher (v) 13. Tufted Titmouse (v) 14. Field Sparrow 15. Yellow Warbler (v) 16. Song Sparrow** 17. American Robin* 18. Cedar Waxwing 19. Prairie Warbler (v) 20. Eastern Phoebe* 21. American Crow* (v) 22. Savannah Sparrow (v) 23. Common Loon (v) 24. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 25. Turkey Vulture 26. Broad-winged Hawk (v) 27. Tree Swallow 28. Great Crested Flycatcher (v) 29. Hermit Thrush (v) 30. American Redstart (v)
Elsewhere
31. Mourning Dove 32. Herring Gull 33. Rock Pigeon
Mammals
Eastern Chipmunk
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
This morning dawned cool but warmed up quickly. Dog and I proceeded up the trail amid clouds of mosquitos and the voices of many birds.
Notable were Red-breasted Nuthatch, Black-billed Cuckoo, a Common Loon in flight, a first-of-year Brown Thrasher, and a pair of vocal (first-of-year) Red-shouldered Hawks having some kind of relationship high in the sky.
I got quite a few photos, too—but I’ve decided to post the last one of our hike: a Hermit Thrush, posing near the trailhead.
Supposed to be showery tomorrow. We shall see.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:47 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Ovenbird** 2. Red-eyed Vireo** 3. Common Yellowthroat 4. Eastern Phoebe* 5. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 6. Black-and-white Warbler (v) 7. Tufted Titmouse (v) 8. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 9. American Goldfinch** 10. Cedar Waxwing 11. Veery 12. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 13. American Redstart** 14. Hairy Woodpecker 15. Northern Cardinal** (v) 16. Chestnut-sided Warbler** 17. Eastern Towhee 18. Gray Catbird 19. Alder Flycatcher 20. Black-billed Cuckoo (v) 21. Scarlet Tanager (v) 22. Common Loon (v) 23. Song Sparrow** 24. Prairie Warbler (v) 25. Yellow Warbler 26. American Robin* 27. Tree Swallow 28. American Crow* 29. Chipping Sparrow** (v) 30. Blue-headed Vireo (v) 31. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 32. House Wren 33. Great Crested Flycatcher (v) 34. Brown Thrasher† 35. Broad-winged Hawk 36. Red-shouldered Hawk† 37. Savannah Sparrow (v) 38. Hermit Thrush
Elsewhere
39. Mourning Dove
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Another morning much like yesterday’s—although we hiked earlier, and the temperature was slightly higher, and the fog was quite a bit thicker. (Not as drippy, though.) And my list has the most bird species of any after my return to Maine.
The only first-of-year species was a Winter Wren I heard down along the wooded trail (where I used to hear a few).
But for some reason, this one involved focus on two vireo species: red-eyed and blue-headed. They both sang a lot, both posed for (dim, grainy-ish) photos. And I realized—even thinking back to a couple species in Utah—how much I dig vireos.
Might be a few thundershowers tonight, and then a sunnier day tomorrow.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:49 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 2. Chestnut-sided Warbler 3. Red-eyed Vireo** 4. Ovenbird 5. Northern Parula** 6. Common Yellowthroat 7. Gray Catbird** 8. Northern Flicker (v) 9. Song Sparrow 10. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 11. Eastern Wood-pewee 12. Veery 13. Tufted Titmouse** (v) 14. Northern Cardinal** (v) 15. American Crow* (v) 16. Hairy Woodpecker 17. Black-and-white Warbler 18. Wood Thrush (v) 19. American Redstart* (v) 20. Eastern Bluebird 21. Blue-headed Vireo 22. Winter Wren† (v) 23. Alder Flycatcher (v) 24. Yellow Warbler 25. Eastern Towhee 26. Ruby-throated Hummingbird 27. American Goldfinch** (v) 28. Prairie Warbler (v) 29. Field Sparrow 30. Black-capped Chickadee* 31. Chipping Sparrow** 32. Common Raven (v) 33. American Robin 34. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v) 35. Eastern Phoebe* 36. Blue Jay (v) 37. Common Loon 38 Nashville Warbler (v) 39. Tree Swallow 40. Ruffed Grouse (booming)
