Another bright, breezy fall morning—but a bit warmer than yesterday. The winds were still unfavorable, migration-wise, but birds were about. Three species in particular were active: chickadees, yellow-rumps, and jays.
The Blue Jays were especially vocal and traveled in little roving bands. I even heard one deliver a pretty accurate Broad-winged Hawk whistle.
Smart birds, jays (as are all corvids). I often wonder what’s on their minds.
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:30 a.m. EST (8:30 DST), I hiked all trails.
This morning dog and I hiked a calm, cool quiet, early autumn trail. Migration was going on—many yellow-rumps, a kinglet, White-throated Sparrows—but after four sweet days on an island, it felt mostly like being back amid close family.
Best family photo? A close-up of a resident chickadee.
[On our morning hike, I dropped my Garmin device. Didn’t notice till we got back to the truck. So in afternoon, I went back without Jack—and, by golly, someone had found it and left it on a bench at the hut. Added a raven.]
Beech Hill List Starting at 8:03 a.m. EST (9:03 DST) and again at 1:09 (2:09), I hiked all trails.
This first day of autumn brought a morning much like yesterday’s: sunny, cool, and fragrant. It also brought a surprising bird species: a Horned Lark. They’re not rare on the hill, but they typically come in small flocks. I rarely see just one, as I did today. An immature male, the bird was poking around the edges of the main trail—and at one point got very near to dog and me as we stood still, and I took photos.
Another oddball was a Nashville Warbler (haven’t seen any since spring, and few then), adult and juvie Hermit Thrush, and a bunch of the usual suspects.
All in all, a fun one.
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:24 a.m. EST (8:24 DST), I hiked all trails.
