At dawn, my indoor-outdoor thermometer showed thirties (F) first thing. By the time dog and I headed up the hill, it had risen to about 40°—and mostly sunny. An absolutely lovely, colorful woodland, with little birds flitting around in the periphery.
Granted, most of these birds were yellow-rumps, but I also heard the (off-season) booming of a Ruffed Grouse and the teeny of a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Another Swamp Sparrow—bunch of sparrows moving through—and plenty of woodpeckers. A fun hike.
Looking forward to tomorrow.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:05 a.m., I hiked all trails.
In October of each year, crows hold a convention on the barrens of Beech Hill Preserve. It’s been a few years since I’ve witnessed this phenomenon—but this nippy, breezy morning I saw the beginnings of the annual event: vocal crows, flapping about, singly and in threes and in groups of a dozen or more, perching noisily together in the crowns of trees. When things really get rolling, scores—perhaps a hundred—of the birds will converge on this place. I can hardly wait.
Otherwise, a good showing among the usual fall species: thrushes and sparrows and finches and woodpeckers and such. Signs of the peak of the season.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:15 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 2. Yellow-rumped Warbler 3. American Crow** 4. Black-capped Chickadee 5. Hermit Thrush 6. American Goldfinch (v) 7. Eastern Bluebird (v) 8. White-throated Sparrow 9. Blue Jay 10. Savannah Sparrow 11. Eastern Towhee (v) 12. Gray Catbird 13. Song Sparrow (v) 14. Purple Finch (v) 15. Brown Creeper (v) 16. Hairy Woodpecker 17. American Robin 18. Northern Flicker 19. Common Raven (v) 20. Eastern Phoebe 21. Tufted Titmouse (v)
Elsewhere
22. Northern Cardinal (v)
Mammals
Eastern Gray Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Overcast and chilly when dog and I headed up to the preserve. Ordinarily I’d take us to the main trail, where the open air would brighten things photographically—but I spied a scrap or two of blue, so decided on the wooded trailhead. It was the right decision. Not only did the sun emerge, but the morning got warm and humid in a hurry.
And a bunch of birds showed up.
Corvids, nuthatches, thrushes, finches, warblers, woodpeckers, sparrows. Many, many yellow-rumps (about 90, I figured) and a good-sized flock of robins. Surprised a woodcock (no photo, dangit). But the highlight was likely a solitary Blackpoll Warbler—first of year on the hill for me.
No photo of the blackpoll, but here’s a Hermit Thrush.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:25 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. American Crow 2. Yellow-rumped Warbler 3. American Goldfinch (v) 4. Blue Jay (v) 5. Brown Creeper 6. Black-capped Chickadee 7. Eastern Bluebird (v) 8. Blackpoll Warbler 9. Purple Finch 10. Tufted Titmouse (v) 11. Northern Flicker (v) 12. American Robin 13. Eastern Towhee (v) 14. Hermit Thrush 15. American Woodcock 16. White-throated Sparrow 17. Gray Catbird 18. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 19. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 20. Savannah Sparrow 21. Osprey 22. Song Sparrow (v) 23. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 24. Downy Woodpecker (v) 25. Ruby-crowned Kinglet (v)
Elsewhere
26. Carolina Wren (v) 27. Herring Gull 28. Rock Pigeon
Mammals
Eastern Chipmunk Eastern Gray Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
