4 October 2023

Posts Tagged ‘hairy woodpecker’

Jays

Tuesday, October 3rd, 2023
Blue Jay, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 03 October 2023.
Blue Jay in the canopy.

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.

1. Blue Jay**
2. Hairy Woodpecker
3. Black-capped Chickadee**
4. American Crow* (v)
5. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
6. Hermit Thrush
7. Yellow-rumped Warbler
8. Brown Creeper (v)
9. American Goldfinch (v)
10. Northern Flicker (v)
11. White-throated Sparrow (v)
12. Tufted Titmouse (v)

Elsewhere

13. Northern Cardinal (v)
14. Herring Gull
15. Rock Pigeon

Mammals

Eastern Chipmunk

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

†First-of-year

Flitting Things

Sunday, October 1st, 2023
Black-capped Chickadee, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 01 October 2023.
Black-capped Chickadee.

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.

1. American Goldfinch (v)
2. White-throated Sparrow
3. Black-capped Chickadee**
4. Hermit Thrush
5. Yellow-rumped Warbler
6. Hairy Woodpecker
7. Ruby-crowned Kinglet (v)
8. American Crow*
9. Gray Catbird
10. Eastern Towhee (v)
11. Blue Jay** (v)
12. Song Sparrow
13. Eastern Bluebird
14. Tufted Titmouse (v)
15. White-breasted Nuthatch** (v)
16. Common Raven

Elsewhere

17. Mallard
18. Northern Cardinal (v)
19. Herring Gull
20. House Sparrow (v)

Reptiles

Garter Snake

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

†First-of-year

Hark, a Lark

Saturday, September 23rd, 2023
Horned Lark (immature male), Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 23 September 2023.
Horned Lark (immature male)

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.

1. Brown Creeper (v)
2. Black-capped Chickadee**
3. Blue Jay (v)
4. Downy Woodpecker (v)
5. Red-eyed Vireo (v)
6. White-breasted Nuthatch**
7. Tufted Titmouse (v)
8. Hairy Woodpecker (v)
9. White-throated Sparrow (v)
10. Nashville Warbler
11. Hermit Thrush
12. Gray Catbird
13. Purple Finch (v)
14. Eastern Towhee (v)
15. American Goldfinch (v)
16. Horned Lark
17. Song Sparrow
18. Yellow-rumped Warbler
19. Eastern Bluebird
20. American Crow* (v)

Elsewhere

21. Northern Cardinal
22. Herring Gull
23. Belted Kingfisher (v)
24. Canada Goose (v)

Mammals

Eastern Chipmunk (v)

(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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