A coolish, calmish, dryish morning with plenty of buzzing mosquitos—and a good plenty of bird species, too. An amazing array, in fact: four thrushes, three woodpeckers; a passel of warblers; lots of sparrows.
Most notable—a quiet juvenile Black-billed Cuckoo that showed up in a shady place about 20 feet in front of us, dog and me. We even managed to stay still enough to grab portrait.
I’ll take a day like today any day.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:18 a.m., I hiked most trails.
Dog and I got to the trailhead a bit later than yesterday, but still we were the first in the parking lot. Not as warm as yesterday, not quite as cloudless, not quite so many mosquitos—but every bit as lovely, interesting, miraculous.
Snowshoe Hare.
Encountered thirty-three bird species and a Snowshoe Hare (with tick-infested ears, poor critter). Among the birds were a pair of Red-winged Blackbirds in overflight (not ID’d until after I viewed my photos later). Also a papa bluebird and mama Pileated Woodpecker, respectively with fledglings.
And for the first time in a long while, a Red-eyed Vireo posed for me.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:51 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo** 2. Ovenbird 3. Northern Cardinal** (v) 4. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 5. Hermit Thrush (v) 6. American Crow* 7. Veery 8. Hairy Woodpecker 9. American Redstart** (v) 10. Chestnut-sided Warbler 11. Gray Catbird 12. Common Yellowthroat 13. American Goldfinch (v) 14. Black-and-white Warbler 15. Black-capped Chickadee** 16. Eastern Towhee 17. Yellow Warbler 18. Pileated Woodpecker 19. Song Sparrow 20. Cedar Waxwing 21. Purple Finch (v) 22. Field Sparrow (v) 23. Red-winged Blackbird 24. Prairie Warbler 25. American Robin 26. White-breasted Nuthatch 27. Turkey Vulture 28. Tufted Titmouse (v) 29. Eastern Phoebe 30. Eastern Bluebird 31. Savannah Sparrow 32. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 33. Brown Creeper (v)
Elsewhere
34. Herring Gull 35. European Starling 36. House Sparrow
Mammals
Eastern Chipmunk Snowshoe Hare
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
A warm morning, with mosquitos about. Cloudless, little wend. Felt a lot like summer.
Speaking of—I heard another singing Summer Tanager down in the bottomlands. Marched off trail for a while but never did get even a peak at the bird. Will try again tomorrow.
A lovely hike, with sweat galore,
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:20 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Ovenbird 2. Northern Cardinal** (v) 3. Red-eyed Vireo** 4. American Crow* 5. American Goldfinch (v) 6. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 7. Chestnut-sided Warbler 8. American Redstart** (v) 9. Summer Tanager (v) 10. Veery 11. Hairy Woodpecker 12. Gray Catbird 13. Black-capped Chickadee** 14. Black-and-white Warbler 15. Eastern Towhee 16. Common Yellowthroat 17. Song Sparrow 18. Yellow Warbler 19. Field Sparrow (v) 20. Purple Finch (v) 21. Cedar Waxwing 22. Eastern Phoebe 23. Savannah Sparrow (v) 24. Mourning Dove 25. American Robin 26. Alder Flycatcher (v) 27. Hermit Thrush (v) 28. House Wren 29. Northern Flicker 30. Tree Swallow 31. Red-breasted Nuthatch 32. Ruby-throated Hummingbird 33.Broad-winged Hawk 34. Tufted Titmouse (v) 35. Common Raven (v) 36 Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 37. Wood Thrush (v)
Elsewhere
38. House Finch 39. Rock Pigeon
Mammals
White-tailed Deer
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
