This morning was a morning of catbirds and bluebirds. Catbirds mewing everywhere under the cool early overcast. And bluebirds fluttering around the summit in high numbers.
The bluebirds upstaged the catbirds, in fact, as gangs of five or six—adults and youngsters—fluttered and called together, practicing high flight and (perhaps) plucking flies from mid-air.
One adult male even stopped to pose against the blue bay.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:30 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. American Robin 2. Red-eyed Vireo (v) 3. American Crow* 4. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 5. Tufted Titmouse (v) 6. Chestnut-sided Warbler** 7. Gray Catbird** 8. Song Sparrow** 9. Northern Cardinal** (v) 10. Chipping Sparrow* 11. Eastern Towhee 12. Herring Gull* 13. Common Yellowthroat 14. Yellow Warbler (v) 15. Mourning Dove* 16. American Goldfinch** 17. Cedar Waxwing 18. Eastern Phoebe* 19. Eastern Bluebird
Elsewhere
20. Rock Pigeon 21. Great Black-backed Gull
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
A warm, thawy, slushy, breezy morning. Several birds on the hill—including a fly-by Red-tailed Hawk—but I figured I’d swing by the harbor anyway, see what’s what. Windier when I got there at high tide, but the water birds were cooperative. In fact, I saw the first Red-Necked Grebe I’ve seen in I don’t know how long exactly.
Loon eating a crab, pair of Horned Grebes, black-backs. Good times.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 9 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 2. Tufted Titmouse** 3. American Crow* 4. Northern Cardinal** (v) 5. American Robin 6. Herring Gull* 7. Red-tailed Hawk 8. Black-capped Chickadee**
Elsewhere
9. Wild Turkey 10. Rock Pigeon 11. Mallard 12. Great Black-backed Gull 13. Common Loon 14. Horned Grebe 15. Red-necked Grebe† 16. Turkey Vulture†
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year bird
As soon as I got out of the truck with Jack this morning, I heard the voice of a Brown Creeper in the trees above us. Didn’t take long to spot it, poking about in the trunks and branches. Nice start to a nice hike.
All sun, few clouds. Quite cold, little wind. Half a dozen birds on the hill—and a couple more elsewhere.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:30 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Brown Creeper 2. Black-capped Chickadee** (v) 3. American Crow* 4. Tufted Titmouse** (v) 5. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 6. American Goldfinch
Elsewhere
7. Herring Gull 8. Rock Pigeon 9. Great Black-backed Gull
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Bird Report is an intermittent record of what's outside my window in Rockport, Maine, USA (44°08'N latitude, 69°06'W longitude), and vicinity. —Brian Willson
