30 May 2023

Posts Tagged ‘common raven’

Four Dozen

Saturday, May 20th, 2023
Glimpse of Common Yellowthroat, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 20 May 2023.
Glimpse of Common Yellowthroat.

It’s nearing the end of May, and the spring greenery has by now burst forth all over the place. This can make birding a little frustrating—more places for the little winged critters to hide—but even so, I somehow ended up with four dozen species on my list this morning. Including three firsts-of-year.

The FOY species: Least Flycatcher, Eastern Wood-pewee, Alder Flycatcher—all favorites (especially the pewee, thanks to its amazing song). At least partly responsible for the nice count: a light southerly wind for a change.

Taking photos can be a challenge what with all the leaves and such, but I rather dig a challenge and expect to get pics of these three at some point.

We’re gonna get an overnight rain which will pass about the time dog and I embark on our Sunday morning hike. Can use the water, though, as it’s been dry. (Then again the dryness might be the reason I haven’t found more deer ticks yet this year.) Bring it on, Nature. I’m looking forward to it.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:21 p.m. sun time (7:21 DST), I hiked all trails.

1. Red-eyed Vireo**
2. Tufted Titmouse** (v)
3. Ovenbird**
4. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (v, drumming)
5. Common Yellowthroat**
6. Wood Thrush (v)
7. Veery (v)
8. Black-capped Chickadee
9. Black-throated Green Warbler** (v)
10. Northern Cardinal** (v)
11. Eastern Towhee**
12. Black-and-white Warbler*
13. American Goldfinch (v)
14. Least Flycatcher† (v)
15. Blue Jay (v)
16. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v)
17. American Redstart (v)
18. Black-throated Blue Warbler (v)
19. White-breasted Nuthatch** (v)
20. Eastern Wood-pewee† (v)
21. Hairy Woodpecker
22. Great Crested Flycatcher (v)
23. Northern Flicker (v)
24. Field Sparrow (v)
25. Chestnut-sided Warbler**
26. Gray Catbird*
27. Prairie Warbler (v)
28. Yellow Warbler (v)
29. Chipping Sparrow
30. Song Sparrow**
31. Eastern Phoebe*
32. American Robin
33. Savannah Sparrow
34. Canada Goose (v)
35. Eastern Bluebird
36. Red-winged Blackbird (v)
37. Alder Flycatcher (v)
38. Brown-headed Cowbird (v)
39. Ruby-crowned Kinglet (v)
40. Scarlet Tanager (v)
41. American Crow*
42. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v)
43. Brown Thrasher
44. Common Raven
45. Mourning Dove* (v)
46. Tree Swallow
47. Purple Finch (v)
48. Pileated Woodpecker

Elsewhere

49. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v)
50. Herring Gull

Mammals

Eastern Gray Squirrel

(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere

†First-of-year

Auspicious Day

Tuesday, May 9th, 2023
Black-throated Blue Warbler (first of year), Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 09 May 2023.
Black-throated Blue Warbler (first of year).

This morning Captain Jack and I led a bird walk along the sunny, warming trails of Beech Hill Preserve. A real good number of folks (twenty-ish?) showed up, and the universe smiled on us.

Right away, birds—and among them, again, plenty of them warblers.

Other noteworthy birds were a pair of calling Broad-winged Hawks, a drumming Pileated Woodpecker, a photogenic kestrel, a plethora of towhees. But for the second straight day, I tallied two first-of-year warblers—a Yellow Warbler, and (my favorite) a Black-throated Blue Warbler. (The latter even posed for a nice photo.)

It was fun to tell a few stories of the hill, to offer a few tips, to recall some humorous bird-related memories. An auspicious day, this 9th of May.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:30 a.m. sun time (7:30 DST), I hiked all trails.

1. Black-and-white Warbler
2. Brown Creeper (v)
3. Black-capped Chickadee*
4. Northern Cardinal* (v)
5. Ovenbird** (v)
6. Tufted Titmouse (v)
7. Eastern Towhee**
8. Blue Jay (v)
9. American Goldfinch
10. Chestnut-sided Warbler
11. Chipping Sparrow (v)
12. Eastern Bluebird
13. American Crow*
14. Turkey Vulture*
15. American Kestrel
16. Field Sparrow (v)
17. Song Sparrow**
18. Savannah Sparrow (v)
19. Tree Swallow
20. Eastern Phoebe**
21. White-throated Sparrow* (v)
22. Gray Catbird (v)
23. Yellow-rumped Warbler
24. Purple Finch
25. Black-throated Blue Warbler
26. Northern Parula
27. Yellow Warbler
28. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v)
29. Black-throated Green Warbler** (v)
30. Broad-winged Hawk
31. Pileated Woodpecker (drumming)
32. Hairy Woodpecker (v)
33. Common Raven (v)
34. Blue-headed Vireo (v)
35. Osprey

Elsewhere

36. Mallard
37. Pine Warbler (v)
38. House Finch
39. Herring Gull

(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere

†First-of-year

Transitions

Tuesday, May 2nd, 2023
Yellow-rumped Warbler, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 02 May 2023.
Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Two firsts-of-year this morning of changing atmospheres: a Gray Catbird, and a Black-and-white Warbler. Will be many more in days to come.

Weather-wise, the morning began overcast and lowery but ended with a half-blue sky and lovely light. Above, more Broad-winged Hawks moving through, and Turkey Vultures. Also a random vee of twenty Double-crested Cormorants (first-of-year birds at Beech Hill).

Crows and ravens and jays and many sparrows. Woodpeckers and finches and thrushes. I could possibly feel content if a day like this one repeated until the day I died.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:45 a.m. real time (7:45 DST), I hiked all trails.

1. Purple Finch**
2. Eastern Towhee
3. Black-capped Chickadee**
4. Chipping Sparrow
5. Red-winged Blackbird** (v)
6. Eastern Bluebird (v)
7. Savannah Sparrow
8. American Crow*
9. Song Sparrow
10. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
11. American Goldfinch (v)
12. Field Sparrow (v)
13. Northern Cardinal** (v)
14. Common Raven
15. American Robin** (v)
16. Yellow-rumped Warbler
17. Herring Gull* (v)
18. Gray Catbird† (v)
19. Tufted Titmouse (v)
20. Pileated Woodpecker (v)
21. Downy Woodpecker (v)
22. Osprey (v)
23. Blue Jay (v)
24. Broad-winged Hawk
25. Turkey Vulture*
26. Double-crested Cormorant
27. Blue-headed Vireo (v)
28. Eastern Phoebe
29. Tree Swallow (v)
30. Black-and-white Warbler† (v)

Elsewhere

31. Wild Turkey
32. Mourning Dove
33. Mallard
34. House Sparrow (v)

Reptiles

Eastern Garter Snake

(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere

†First-of-year

 
Bird Report is a (sometimes intermittent) record of the birds I encounter while hiking, see while driving, or spy outside my window. —Brian Willson



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