The morning was warmer—50s (F)—but mostly overcast and quite breezy when dog and I headed up to Beech Hill. Some blue showed through, though, and I thought about hitting the wooded trailhead, but decided on the main trail. Good decision, as very little sun lit up the landscape, and the light was better out in the barrens.
Crows again—couple dozen of ’em. Can’t decide if their great annual convention is about to start, or perhaps warming and dryness and maybe other factors have affected this great event. The wind was nice and cool and I loved the sky and the smell and the muted-yet-wildly-colorful landscape—all kinds of lovely surroundings.
Saw a kestrel, saw a red-tail—both noteworthy. Only one woodpecker, only one robin (unlike recent days). Migration continues but this morning seemed as muted as the day.
Might be a quick hike tomorrow, as a big rain’s a-comin’.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:10 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Tufted Titmouse (v) 2. Yellow-rumped Warbler 3. Purple Finch (v) 4. Common Yellowthroat (v) 5. American Crow 6. Black-capped Chickadee 7. Blue Jay (v) 8. American Kestrel 9. Northern Flicker (v) 10. White-throated Sparrow 11. Dark-eyed Junco 12. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 13. Gray Catbird (v) 14. Ruby-crowned Kinglet 15. American Robin (v) 16. Savannah Sparrow 17. Red-tailed Hawk
Elsewhere
18. Northern Cardinal (v)
Mammals
Eastern Gray Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
What a morning. A bit of frost early, but it’d become dew by the time dog and I hit the wooded trail. Nippy, mostly sunny—the angular sun of morning—and mostly calm. Many birds flitting around in the undergrowth and high in the trees. Mostly woodpeckers and sparrows.
Four woodpecker species, four sparrow species, a couple thrushes, a couple finches, a couple nuthatches, a couple warblers. Just good migratory action all around. A lovely morning.
Hoping for more of the same tomorrow.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:06 a.m., I hiked all trails.
Chilly air this morning, but mostly calm, with little bit of sun early, then overcast. Captain Jack and I loved this day—loved our hike. Both us old guys. No denying it.
Jack had smells—loads and loads of smells—to investigate. He plunged his face in the grass, he raised his nose into the air. I looked and listened for birds. We both found the objects of our interest. In my case, woodpeckers, finches, corvids, many yellow-rumps, miscellaneous other species—and sparrows.
About thirty White-throated Sparrows in fact. Tons of that species moving through. A couple or three towhees. A couple or three Song Sparrows. A couple or three Swamp Sparrows. I only see the latter on the hill during migration—and this year seems to have been fruitful for the species.
I love warblers, I love hawks, I love thrushes, I love a lot of bird families—among them (dearly) sparrows.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:06 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 2. American Robin 3. Yellow-rumped Warbler 4. Hermit Thrush 5. Black-capped Chickadee 6. American Crow 7. Eastern Towhee 8. White-throated Sparrow 9. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v) 10. Blue Jay (v) 11. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 12. Eastern Phoebe 13. Purple Finch (v) 14. Song Sparrow 15. Gray Catbird (v) 16. American Goldfinch 17. Swamp Sparrow 18. Dark-eyed Junco 19. Northern Flicker 20. Ruby-crowned Kinglet (v) 21. Hairy Woodpecker
Mammals
Eastern Chipmunk
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
