Was supposed to be rainy this morning, but it was only overcast, to start. Despite the wetness, dog and I encountered more bird species than the past couple-three hikes. Quiet though it was, I saw but a small percentage of ’em; the rest I heard. Noteworthy was the voice of a Great Crested Flycatcher— and the same Pileated Woodpecker I heard yesterday when we arrived.
Later, in a light rain, we came upon a little family of vireos flitting about in the canopy, an adult scrambling to feed a few rather demanding young ’uns. Even got a half-way decent photo, as proof.
Tomorrow’s supposed to be sunny, breezy, and cool.
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:06 a.m. EST (8:06 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Pileated Woodpecker (v) 2. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 3. Gray Catbird 4. Eastern Towhee 5. Mourning Dove* (v) 6. Great Crested Flycatcher (v) 7. Blue Jay (v) 8. Song Sparrow 9. American Goldfinch (v) 10. Cedar Waxwing (v) 11. Black-capped Chickadee 12. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v) 13. American Crow* (v) 14. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 15. Red-eyed Vireo 16. Common Yellowthroat 17. Eastern Bluebird 18. Downy Woodpecker (v) 19. Herring Gull (v)
Elsewhere
20. Northern Cardinal (v)
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
A gray overcast greeted dog and me as we headed over to the wooded trailhead. Warm but not too warm, humid but just the right amount of humidity. However, the woods were very quiet. Was this because of the barometric pressure? The overcast? The humidity? The time of year? Or did the quiet have something to do with all the new young birds flitting around in the thick foliage?
I’m thinking a combination of factors. but certainly the need to feed had something to do with it. All told, fewer birds than in many recent weeks, but a few bother to pose for photos—among them a juvie robin.
Beech Hill List Starting at 6:56 a.m. EST (7:56 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. American Goldfinch** 2. Red-eyed Vireo** (v) 3. American Crow* 4. Eastern Towhee 5. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 6. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 7. Tufted Titmouse (v) 8. Black-capped Chickadee 9. Gray Catbird 10. American Robin* 11. Common Yellowthroat 12. Alder Flycatcher (v) 13. Song Sparrow* 14. Field Sparrow (v) 15. Mourning Dove* 16. Great Crested Flycatcher (v) 17. Yellow Warbler (v) 18. Hermit Thrush (v) 19. Cedar Waxwing (v) 20. Chestnut-sided Warbler 21. Downy Woodpecker 22. Eastern Phoebe
Elsewhere
23. Herring Gull 24. Wild Turkey
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
A warm and sunny morning for a change, leading to a warmer late morning and midday. During my daily hike with dog, it seemed everywhere I looked I saw birds with bills full of insects. Hungry fledglings all over the place.
Plenty of birds were singing, also, voicing their territorial claims. A particular Black-and-white Warbler stopped singing and posed for a photo.
Warm again tomorrow, so they say. I expect similar bird behavior on the hill.
(In late afternoon, I hiked with a friend up Ragged Mountain and heard the hoots of a Barred Owl.)
Beech Hill List Starting at 6:01 a.m. EST (7:01 DST), I hiked all trails.
