A cool and sunny morning. Still quiet, bird-wise, so it took some gazing in the canopy to spy the little birds along the lower wooded trail. Notable in the open fields were a pair of Broad-winged Hawks and a vulture.
Returning in the upper woods, I got a look at a couple warblers along the trail. Even got a photo of one, a juvie Chestnut-sided Warbler. It was looking right at me.
Beech Hill List Starting at 6:54 a.m. EST (7:54 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Wild Turkey 2. Red-eyed Vireo** (v) 3. American Goldfinch 4. Eastern Wood-pewee 5. Tufted Titmouse (v) 6. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 7. Black-and-white Warbler 8. Ovenbird (v) 9. Brown Creeper (v) 10. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 11. American Crow* 12. Eastern Towhee 13. Gray Catbird (v) 14. Alder Flycatcher 15. Cedar Waxwing 16. Song Sparrow 17. Broad-winged Hawk 18. Turkey Vulture 19. Northern Cardinal (v) 20. American Robin 21. Common Yellowthroat (v) 22. Chestnut-sided Warbler
Elsewhere
23. Herring Gull 24. Rock Pigeon 25. Bald Eagle
(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)