Despite yet another dim, non-photogenic morning, the birds finally showed up en masse this morning—what felt to me like the first really busy spring migration day. Not only did I spy (or hear) fourteen warbler species, but one of those was a first-of-year bird, and I got three other F-O-Y species, two of which were first-of–Beech Hill birds: Warbling Vireo and Lincoln’s sparrow. Had not yet come upon either of these in my thousands of hikes up there.

[Thanks to Kristen Lindquist for helping me ID the former via a recording of its warbling calls.]

Alas, the only photo I managed of the Lincoln’s had a twig in the way, but you can still tell it’s an especially handsome species.

Otherwise, I had a dramatic Pileated Woodpecker flyby, a sudden Eastern Kingbird, a vocal raven flyby, a nice Scarlet Tanager Sighting, and a frantic hike through brambles in search of an elusive Canada Warbler. The warbler got away.

Jack and I happened also to have run into a couple of wild mammals—well, not literally, fortunately, since one of these was a good-sized porcupine (up a tree). (The other was a red squirrel.)

Blackpoll Warbler, Black-Throated Blue Warbler, more Magnolia Warblers, two other vireo species (second day for red-eyes), and a Chipping Sparrow chasing a couple warblers away from what I must assume was its nesting tree.

And while stopped to photograph Yellow Warblers, I somehow managed to get a video of a vocal Gray Catbird. Usually those guys are pretty shy

I’m already kind of excited for tomorrow morning—even if it is supposed to be another cloudy one.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:15 a.m., I hiked all trails.

1. Ovenbird**
2. Blue-headed Vireo
3. Black-throated Green Warbler
4. Pileated Woodpecker
5. Chestnut-sided Warbler
6. Common Yellowthroat**
7. Northern Parula (v)
8. Hairy Woodpecker (v)
9. American Redstart
10. Veery
11. Black-capped Chickadee
12. Least Flycatcher (v)
13. Magnolia Warbler
14. Gray Catbird
15. Black-and-white Warbler
16. Eastern Towhee
17. Mourning Dove*
18. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
19. Red-eyed Vireo
20. Canada Warbler†
21. Blackpoll Warbler
22. Northern Flicker
23. Yellow Warbler
24. Nashville Warbler (v)
25. American Crow*
26. Scarlet Tanager
27. American Goldfinch (v)
28. Blue Jay
29. Tufted Titmouse** (v)
30. Warbling Vireo† (v)
31. Song Sparrow
32. Field Sparrow (v)
33. Eastern Phoebe (v)
34. House Finch
35. Brown-headed Cowbird (v)
36. Double-crested Cormorant
37. Alder Flycatcher (v)
38. Yellow-rumped Warbler
39. Red-winged Blackbird
40. Common Raven
41. Hermit Thrush (v)
42. Chipping Sparrow
43. White-breasted Nuthatch** (v)
44. Turkey Vulture
45. Eastern Kingbird†
46. Lincoln’s Sparrow†
47. Black-throated Blue Warbler (v)

Elsewhere

48. Herring Gull

v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird