A sunny, warm, kind of glorious morning. Spring at last. A breeze rose in the fully-fledged trees, and the resulting hush obscured some birdsong—but I heard enough (and saw enough) to have a happy hike with dog.

Happiest occurrence: A Black-billed Cuckoo zipped up to a branch directly in front of us along the wooded trail and posed for photos. I rarely get to photograph these shy birds.

Back home, a curiosity: the call of a kingfisher where I’d never heard one before. Weird.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 8 a.m., I hiked the open trail.

1. Red-eyed Vireo**
2. Ovenbird (v)
3. Tufted Titmouse (v)
4. Chestnut-sided Warbler**
5. Common Yellowthroat**
6. Veery
7. Eastern Wood-pewee (v)
8. Eastern Towhee
9. Downy Woodpecker (v)
10. Black-and-white Warbler
11. American Goldfinch
12. Scarlet Tanager (v)
13. Alder Flycatcher
14. Field Sparrow (v)
15. Song Sparrow**
16. Yellow Warbler
17. Eastern Phoebe*
18. Tree Swallow
19. Chipping Sparrow*
20. American Crow*
21. Double-crested Cormorant
22. Eastern Bluebird (v)
23. Purple Finch (v)
24. Cedar Waxwing
25. Black-billed Cuckoo
26. Hermit Thrush (v)
27. Black-throated Blue Warbler (v)
28. Black-throated Green Warbler (v)
29. Least Flycatcher
30. Northern Cardinal (v)

Elsewhere

31. House Finch (v)
32. Herring Gull
33. Osprey (v)
34. Belted Kingfisher (v)

v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere