The day dawned brighter than expected, with a temperate right about freezing. A bit of a breeze, but not too strong. Snow still covering much of the earth—though quite a bit has vanished overnight.
My hike with dog was a quiet one. Not a bunch of birds, but at least a chickadee angling for bayberries posed for a photo.
(One mammal: Red Squirrel.)
I wonder what tomorrow will bring?
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:01 a.m., I hiked all trails.
Still in the 30s (F) when dog and I hit the trail this a.m. Bright, though, with barely a breeze, and the birds began to let themselves be heard—and seen. Chickadee, titmouse, nuthatch, woodpeckers, jays. They even showed up in numbers: a whole bunch of bluebirds in flight, even more robins bouncing around the treetops, and dozens of cawing crows.
But most fun for me were hawks. First, I spied a Cooper’s Hawk (which had the robins nervous), and later we came upon a handsome Northern Harrier, patrolling low above the blueberry barrens as they do here in both spring and fall. Got a glimpse of one last month, and now another in October.
It’ll be nice to see a “gray ghost” come spring.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:06 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Black-capped Chickadee 2. American Robin 3. Brown Creeper (v) 4. Tufted Titmouse 5. Eastern Bluebird 6. Blue Jay 7. White-breasted Nuthatch 8. Downy Woodpecker (v) 9. Hairy Woodpecker (v) 10. Yellow-rumped Warbler 11. Cooper’s Hawk 12. American Crow 13. American Goldfinch (v) 14. Northern Harrier 15. Savannah Sparrow 16. Dark-eyed Junco (v)
Elsewhere
17. Golden-crowned Kinglet (v) 18. Rock Pigeon 19. European Starling 20. Rock Pigeon
Mammals
Eastern Gray Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Dog and I hit the trail as the sun was rising in nearly cloudless skies, illuminating the reds and ochres and yellows of October up here on the 44th parallel. Nippy—40s (F)—but not as much breeze as yesterday, and there were birds about.
In fact, besides the still numerous yellow-rumps, my most notable sightings were a Great Black-backed Gull (flying over), a tight flock of starlings (flying low with a gang of crows), and a solitary kinglet. Meanwhile, back at home, a group of nine Wild Turkeys decided to browse in the big west yard.
I so love autumn that I could live this lovely day all over again.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:06 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Blue Jay** (v) 2. Yellow-rumped Warbler 3. American Crow 4. White-breasted Nuthatch 5. Black-capped Chickadee** 6. Hairy Woodpecker 7. American Robin* 8. Ruby-crowned Kinglet 9. Purple Finch 10. American Goldfinch (v) 11. Northern Flicker 12. White-throated Sparrow 13. European Starling† 14. Song Sparrow 15. Eastern Towhee (v) 16. Red-breasted Nuthatch 17. Savannah Sparrow 18. Herring Gull* 19. Great Black-backed Gull 20. Brown Creeper 21. Tufted Titmouse (v)
Elsewhere
22. Wild Turkey
Mammals
American Red Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
