Today was a special day that only happens once a year: Audubon Christmas Bird Count Day. It’d been four years since I’d participated, and I was really looking forward to it. It did not disappoint.
In fact, among the birds we spotted at the Rockland Breakwater (which I hadn’t walked since Jack’s and my return from Salt Lake City back in April) was a lifer for me: Dunlin. Fact is while heading out across the great granite blocks, I nearly stepped on the bird. (OK, it was maybe eight or ten feet away.) There were a pair that I saw (although my birding pals saw a third). Not every day you get a lifer.
Many other species also (see below), and then I returned home for Jack and right away we hiked Beech Hill—albeit a little later than usual.
Notable at the hill were a posing Brown Creeper and the call of an Evening Grosbeak in overflight. Snow up there (not much here, a mile and a half away).
I kinda like the end of the year but, to me, every day is a holiday.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 10:02 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Blue Jay (v) 2. American Crow* (v) 3. Golden-crowned Kinglet (v) 4. Downy Woodpecker** (v) 5. Brown Creeper 6. Evening Grosbeak (v) 7. Black-capped Chickadee** 8. Red-breasted Nuthatch** (v) 9. Northern Flicker 10. Tufted Titmouse (v)
Elsewhere
11. Mallard 12. Herring Gull 13. Great Black-backed Gull 14. Ring-billed Gull 15. House Sparrow 16. House Finch 17. Common Goldeneye 18. Common Loon 19. Horned Grebe 20. Long-tailed Duck 21. Black Guillemot 22. Purple Sandpiper 23. Canada Goose 24. American Wigeon 25. Surf Scoter 26. Bufflehead 27. Red-breasted Merganser 28. Dunlin‡ 29. Common Eider 30. Ring-billed Gull
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year ‡Lifer
Dog and I got to the hill a bit late this morning, and by the time we did, the wind was high. A trace of snow had fallen overnight, but the temperature was also high—upper-30s (F)—and I knew that’s soon be gone. Bird sightings included those in flight only: gulls, crows, and vultures.
The waves were rockin’ at the harbor, meanwhile, but a loon and some grebes were fishing. Ducks sticking to the calmer river outlet.
And later, during a quick stop in Camden, I spied three crows diving on a red-tailed.
The wind makes you feel alive.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 9 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
7. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 8. American Goldfinch (v) 9. American Robin 10. Rock Pigeon 11. Mallard 12. Common Loon 13. Horned Grebe 14. Red-tailed Hawk
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Snowed a little last night, maybe an inch and a half. Wet snow, scenic. Warm this morning—mid-30s (F). A lot of the snow melted by the end of the day.
However, during our mid-morning hike, dog and I encountered a lot of it still. Nice hike. First up the hill even though we didn’t start until 10. I cleaned out a couple bluebird boxes, got wind of several species.
No photos, though, so later we swung by the harbor. Low tide, but an accommodating grebe posed for me.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 10 a.m., I hiked the open trail
7. Herring Gull 8. Mourning Dove 9. American Robin 10. Mallard 11. American Black Duck 12. House Finch (v) 13. Horned Grebe 14. Rock Pigeon 15. Northern Cardinal (v) 16. Turkey Vulture
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere