Cooler and damper after yesterday’s rain, sunny with a bit of a breeze. I truly had no expectations, just figured I’d hear and/or see a few birds, maybe learn a thing or two.

And I did—both. Notably, I heard/saw a Least Flycatcher, and spied a Red Crossbill (fem./imm.—first I’ve seen on the hill) high on a spruce at the summit and, in the woods toward the end of our hike, I heard two species of tanager.

First was a Scarlet Tanager, which I hunted for up in the leafy canopy but could not get a look at. Finally I spotted the bird apparently being chased by another tanager. And then I heard the voice of the other tanager—a Summer Tanager. Couldn’t get a good bead on that one, either, although I did watch it fly away

I’ll be keeping my eye peeled for tanagers going forward.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7:22 a.m., I hiked most trails.

1. Song Sparrow**
2. Ovenbird
3. Red-eyed Vireo**
4. Black-throated Green Warbler (v)
5. Veery
6. Gray Catbird
7. Chestnut-sided Warbler
8. Eastern Towhee
9. Common Yellowthroat
10. American Crow*
11. American Goldfinch**
12. Black-and-white Warbler
13. Black-capped Chickadee**
14. Field Sparrow
15. Alder Flycatcher (v)
16. Yellow Warbler
19. Cedar Waxwing
20. Red Crossbill†
21. Purple Finch
22. American Robin*
23. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v)
24. Prairie Warbler
25. Least Flycatcher
26. Tufted Titmouse (v)
27. Herring Gull*
28. Broad-winged Hawk
29. Hermit Thrush (v)
30. Pileated Woodpecker (v)
31. Eastern Wood-pewee
32. Scarlet Tanager (v)
33. Summer Tanager (v)

Elsewhere

34. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)

Mammals

Eastern Chipmunk

(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year