A similar start to yesterday’s hike—rather late up the main trail, overcast, damp, nippy, calm—but with a little sun brightening things up after a while. The sun also warmed things up. And birds were active.
Notable were a pair of larks, a loon in overflight, the croaks of a raven—and a rare glimpse of a Pileated Woodpecker.
Pileateds themselves aren’t rare in the woods, but they’re good at making themselves scarce. Often you’ll hear their loud, distinctive call, and sometimes you can track one by its especially loud hammering. But I do love to get a peek at these lovely birds. Today’s female posed for a photo.
Beech Hill List Starting at 8:04 a.m. EST (9:04 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Song Sparrow (v) 2. Blue Jay 3. Yellow-rumped Warbler** 4. American Crow* 5. American Goldfinch 6. Common Yellowthroat (v) 7. Hairy Woodpecker 8. Northern Flicker 9. Common Loon 10. Horned Lark 11. Tufted Titmouse (v) 12. Eastern Towhee (v) 13. Black-capped Chickadee 14. Hermit Thrush 15. Brown Creeper (v) 16. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v) 17. White-breasted Nuthatch 18. Common Raven (v) 19. Pileated Woodpecker
Elsewhere
20. Herring Gull 21. Northern Cardinal
Mammals
Eastern Gray Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
I hiked the hill twice today—once with dog and a second time leading a friendly a birding group. What with the chill and breeze, not a lot of birds showed up—but both hikes were well worth it in this new young lovely fall.
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:18 a.m. EST (8:18 DST) and again at 8:30 (9:30), I hiked all trails.
1. Tufted Titmouse 2. Black-capped Chickadee** (v) 3. Yellow-rumped Warbler 4. American Goldfinch (v) 5. American Crow* (v) 6. Common Yellowthroat (v) 7. Eastern Towhee (v) 8. Blue Jay (v) 9. Turkey Vulture
Elsewhere
10. Mallard 11. Herring Gull
Mammals
White-tailed Deer
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
It was a cool and overcast morning, a kind of weather I truly love to hike in. Something about that layer of clouds above makes me feel safe, like a soft, protective ceiling. And Captain Jack, with his thick fur coat, liked the coolness.
Yesterday’s wayward solo lark appeared again. So did at least one raven—and, most surprisingly, a Sharp-shinned Hawk. I heard a jay first, just ahead of us around a leafy corner, then the hawk. It’s bright rapid cries made me stop in my tracks. I peaked around the leafy corner, and danged if the bird didn’t allow me a decent photo.
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:08 a.m. EST (8:08 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Gray Catbird (v) 2. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 3. Black-capped Chickadee** 4. American Crow* (v) 5. Common Yellowthroat (v) 6. Song Sparrow 7. Blue Jay** 8. Horned Lark 9. Yellow-rumped Warbler 10. Northern Flicker (v) 11. Common Raven 12. American Goldfinch** 13. Eastern Towhee (v) 14. Red-eyed Vireo (v) 15. Sharp-shinned Hawk 16. American Robin (v) 17. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 18. Tufted Titmouse (v)
