Cool again—but this time both literally and figuratively. Last night’s rain dripping from the trees, but blue approaching from the western skies. Drier air than in recent days. The fragrance of late August. And a couple dozen bird species.
Most notable, perhaps, was a turkey fly-by down on the lower wooded trail. (A hiking party on the upper trail spooked it.) Sadly, a dead turkey poult along the open trail.
Happily, a pair of ospreys (one with fish)—and a raven at the end.
Would do it again in a heartbeat.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:35 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Blue Jay (v) 2. American Crow 3. Red-eyed Vireo 4. Tufted Titmouse (v) 5. Black-capped Chickadee 6. White-breasted Nuthatch 7. American Goldfinch (v) 8. Wild Turkey 9. Brown Creeper (v) 10. Red-breasted Nuthatch 11. Gray Catbird** 12. Eastern Towhee 13. Purple Finch (v) 14. Ruby-throated Hummingbird 15. Common Yellowthroat (v) 16. Song Sparrow** 17. Cedar Waxwing 18. Cooper’s Hawk 19. Herring Gull 20. Pileated Woodpecker (v) 21. Mourning Dove* 22. Osprey 23. American Robin 24. Common Raven (v)
Elsewhere
25. Northern Cardinal (v)
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
A rather auspicious hike with dog this morning. First, the sun emerged after a couple misty days, which mixed things up a bit. Second, we encountered lesser-seen species like hummingbirds, hawks, osprey. Third, we got closer to a wild raven than we ever have.
It was a young bird, and it was in the field near the trail, eating blueberries for breakfast. I’d been checking a birch across from the raven, where I thought I saw a warbler, when it croaked. Its nearness startled me. Just there, not thirty feet away. I managed to grab a few photos, even a video or two, while it popped blueberries into its mouth, croaking occasionally. Then it flapped up into the bird I’d been scanning and preened for a while.
I count it as something of a blessing.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:49 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Blue Jay 2. White-breasted Nuthatch 3. Black-capped Chickadee 4. American Crow 5. Red-eyed Vireo 6. Hairy Woodpecker 7. American Goldfinch 8. Eastern Wood-pewee 9. Red-bellied Woodpecker 10. Brown Creeper 11. Eastern Towhee 12. Gray Catbird 13. Cedar Waxwing 14. Purple Finch 15. Ruby-throated Hummingbird 16. Least Flycatcher 17. Black-throated Green Warbler 18. Savannah Sparrow 19. Song Sparrow 20. Cooper’s Hawk 21. Common Raven 22. American Robin 23. Common Yellowthroat 24. Broad-winged Hawk 25. Yellow-rumped Warbler 26. Osprey 27. Red-breasted Nuthatch 28. Hermit Thrush
Elsewhere
29. Mourning Dove 30. Herring Gull
Mammals
Eastern Gray Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Cool early as dog and I hit the shady trailhead, but warm in a hurry as the sun rose on a humid day. Birds still flitting about, readying for their inevitable travels. Nice selection of species.
Notable: Chimney Swifts, and a Least Flycatcher enjoying the summit fly hatch (along with waxwings). A random Wood Thrush down in the woodlands. Distant gulls. A random Cooper’s Hawk (I believe the first I’ve seen since our return to Maine).
Especially happy to have had a Savannah Sparrow—my favorite sparrow, as certainly I’ve mentioned before—perch and pose for me.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:33 a.m., I hiked most trails.
