29 May 2023

Posts Tagged ‘European starling’

Cuckoo

Thursday, May 25th, 2023
Black-billed Cuckoo, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 25 May 2023.
Black-billed Cuckoo (first of year).

A bright, chilly morning with a breeze. Upper 40s (F) to start, so I wore my birding hoodie—a smooth move. Wild birds, however, seemed relatively undaunted by the fact that the breeze was northeasterly, and dog and I had a nice hike.

That said, I had relatively few photo opportunities for much of our nature walk, which was a tad frustrating. Then, during our return, a long dark bird flitted across the hedgy trail ahead of us. It turned out to be my first Black-billed Cuckoo of the year. And the cuckoo stayed at its perch long enough for me to sneak up and get a few close photos of this handsome bird’s upper half.

Also noteworthy: a flushed woodcock, a vocal Least Flycatcher, and—at home—a fox carrying a deceased gray squirrel across the lawn.

Ah, spring!

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:11 p.m. sun time (7:11 DST), I hiked all trails.

1. Red-eyed Vireo** (v)
2. Ovenbird**
3. Chestnut-sided Warbler
4. American Redstart**
5. Eastern Phoebe**
6. Blue Jay (v)
7. Black-throated Green Warbler (v)
8. Hermit Thrush (v)
9. American Goldfinch
10. Gray Catbird**
11. Black-capped Chickadee (v)
12. Black-and-white Warbler (v)
13. Eastern Towhee
14. Common Yellowthroat (v)
15. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
16. American Woodcock
17. Veery
18. Song Sparrow**
19. American Crow*
20. Yellow Warbler (v)
21. Field Sparrow
22. Least Flycatcher (v)
23. American Robin
24. Alder Flycatcher (v)
25. Scarlet Tanager (v)
26. Chipping Sparrow
27. Purple Finch (v)
28. Eastern Bluebird
29. Herring Gull*
30. Tufted Titmouse (v)
31. Brown-headed Cowbird
32. Northern Parula (v)
33. Red-winged Blackbird (v)
34. Black-billed Cuckoo†
35. Broad-winged Hawk (v)
36. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v)
37. Wood Thrush (v)

Elsewhere

38. Pine Warbler (v)
39. European Starling

Mammals

Eastern Gray Squirrel (live one)
Red Fox

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

†First-of-year

A Good Day

Monday, May 22nd, 2023
Red-eyed Vireo, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 22 May 2023.
Red-eyed Vireo.

Blue sky, cool temps, and a nice breeze greeted dog and me as we started up the wooded trail. Plenty of birds were there to greet us, too.

It didn’t seem at first that I’d have much of a list, but the higher we got, the more birds I saw or heard. And then—as has happened in recent days—we hiked a ways down the Erickson Fields trail down toward Beech Hill Road and added a bunch more species.

Notable today was a first-of-year Canada Warbler. I didn’t get a look at it, but the Merlin app insisted that’s what made the quick little jumble of a warble I was hearing across the road—and after we got home I matched my GoPro recording with the Cornell Labs’. (Wish I’d got a peek.)

Similar weather expected tomorrow. Will I encounter another first of year?

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:31 p.m. sun time (7:31 DST), I hiked all trails.

1. Red-eyed Vireo**
2. Tufted Titmouse
3. Ovenbird**
4. Common Yellowthroat
5. Black-capped Chickadee**
6. Black-throated Green Warbler (v)
7. Northern Cardinal (v)
8. Eastern Towhee (v)
9. Black-and-white Warbler**
10. American Goldfinch (v)
11. Blue Jay
12. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v)
13. American Redstart (v)
14. White-breasted Nuthatch**
15. Eastern Wood-pewee (v)
16. Great Crested Flycatcher (v)
17. Field Sparrow
18. Chestnut-sided Warbler**
19. Gray Catbird
20. Yellow Warbler
21. Chipping Sparrow (v)
22. Song Sparrow*
23. Eastern Phoebe*
24. American Robin
25. Canada Goose (v)
26. Eastern Bluebird
27. Red-winged Blackbird (v)
28. Brown-headed Cowbird
29. Scarlet Tanager (v)
30. American Crow*
31. Red-breasted Nuthatch* (v)
32. Turkey Vulture
33. Wild Turkey (v)
34. Mourning Dove* (v)
35. Tree Swallow
36. Purple Finch (v)
37. Canada Warbler† (v)
38. Hermit Thrush (v)

Elsewhere

39. Mallard
40. Herring Gull
41. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
42. Rock Pigeon
43. European Starling
44. Cooper’s Hawk

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

†First-of-year

Afternoon Hike

Friday, May 19th, 2023
Hermit Thrush, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 19 May 2023.
Hermit Thrush.

I had an early appointment this morning, so for the first time in—I think—years, dog and I took our hike in afternoon. The light was bright, the air was cool, the winds were high, the birds were sparser than at earlier hours. However, it was as fun as ever.

A couple dozen species total, with the most notable bird being a Hermit Thrush that popped up on a little snag just in front of us and posed for photos. Also two hawks and a vulture. Several warblers.

The early excursion involved a drive to Portland, so on the way I got some unusual (for me) birds while zipping past.

Tomorrow will be early, as usual. Maybe a first-of-year species or two?

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 12:10 p.m. sun time (1:10 DST), I hiked all trails.

1. Ovenbird (v)
2. Black-throated Green Warbler** (v)
3. Song Sparrow (v)
4. American Goldfinch (v)
5. Black-and-white Warbler** (v)
6. Brown Creeper (v)
7. Red-eyed Vireo (v)
8. Eastern Towhee
9. Northern Cardinal (v)
10. Chestnut-sided Warbler
11. Hermit Thrush
12. American Crow*
13. Blue Jay (v)
14. Black-throated Blue Warbler (v)
15. Field Sparrow (v)
16. Yellow Warbler (v)
17. Turkey Vulture
18. Red-tailed Hawk
19. Broad-winged Hawk
20. Chipping Sparrow
21. Herring Gull*
22. Eastern Phoebe**
23. Tufted Titmouse (v)
24. Purple Finch (v)

Elsewhere

25. Mallard
26. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v)
27. European Starling
28. Double-crested Cormorant
29. Osprey
30. Rock Pigeon

(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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