24 March 2023

Posts Tagged ‘gray catbird’

Rain a’Comin’

Thursday, October 13th, 2022

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

Sparrows, Woodpeckers

Tuesday, October 11th, 2022
Savannah Sparrow, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 11 October 2022.
Savannah Sparrow.

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.

1. Blue Jay (v)
2. Yellow-rumped Warbler
3. Purple Finch (v)
4. Hermit Thrush
5. Black-capped Chickadee**
6. American Robin
7. Hairy Woodpecker
8. American Crow*
9. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
10. American Goldfinch
11. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v)
12. Eastern Towhee (v)
13. Tufted Titmouse** (v)
14. Gray Catbird
15. White-throated Sparrow
16. Northern Flicker
17. Downy Woodpecker
18. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v)
19. Common Yellowthroat
20. Savannah Sparrow
21. Dark-eyed Junco
22. Chipping Sparrow
23. Sharp-shinned Hawk
24. White-breasted Nuthatch
25. Brown Creeper (v)

Elsewhere

26. Northern Cardinal
27. Herring Gull

Mammals

Eastern Chipmunk

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

†First-of-year

More Sparrows

Monday, October 10th, 2022
Swamp Sparrow, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 10 October 2022.
Swamp Sparrow.

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

 
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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