Cold and wet morning. Forties (F) and drippy from some overnight precip. Didn’t expect much in the way of birds or photos—but, as often happens, I was pleasantly surprised.
First were all the warblers flitting silently through the leafing-out hardwoods. (Sure enough not a lot of singing going on.) Next came some nice surprises at the misty summit: activity in the spruce grove including a Least Flycatcher, a Yellow Warbler, A Magnolia Warbler, a Wilson’s Warbler—and a first-of-preserve Lincoln’s Sparrow. Pretty sure that was the first of the species I had to ID on my own, in fact.
Sweet.
In all, thirty-six species on a drippy, gray day. I’ll take it.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. American Robin* (v) 2. Ovenbird 3. Black-throated Green Warbler 4. American Goldfinch (v) 5. Chestnut-sided Warbler (v) 6. Hairy Woodpecker 7. American Redstart (v) 8. Veery (v) 9. Gray Catbird (v) 10. Northern Cardinal (v) 11. Herring Gull* (v) 12. Eastern Towhee 13. Rose-breasted Grosbeak* 14. Common Yellowthroat (v) 15. Hermit Thrush (v) 16. Northern Parula (v) 17. Yellow Warbler** 18. Song Sparrow** 19. Eastern Phoebe* (v) 20. Tree Swallow 21. Field Sparrow (v) 22. American Crow (v) 23. Blue Jay (v) 24. Cedar Waxwing 25. Lincoln’s Sparrow† 26. Magnolia Warbler 27. Least Flycatcher 28. Scarlet Tanager (v) 29. Wilson’s Warbler 30. Red-eyed Vireo 31. Northern Flicker (v) 32. Purple Finch (v) 33. Wood Thrush (v) 34. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 35. Black-and-white Warbler (v) 36. Common Raven (v)
Elsewhere
37. House Finch 38. Chipping Sparrow
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year bird.
Warm and gray this morning. Temps in the 60s (F) early. A thrushy sort of day—but one with a couple of interesting species (notably Black-billed Cuckoo and Magnolia Warbler). So muggy that the raven in the blueberry barren kept its mouth open to keep cool. And I fell in love with female yellowthroat.
Common Raven (panting).
Not bad for a humid morning.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Wood Thrush (v)
2. Ovenbird**
3. Red-eyed Vireo (v)
4. American Redstart**
5. Veery
6. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v)
7. Black-and-white Warbler
8. Black-throated Green Warbler (v)
9. American Goldfinch
10. Common Yellowthroat**
11. Chestnut-sided Warbler**
12. Eastern Towhee
13. American Crow*
14. Alder Flycatcher (v)
15. Yellow Warbler (v)
16. Song Sparrow**
17. Gray Catbird
18. Black-billed Cuckoo
19. Eastern Wood-pewee
20. Eastern Phoebe*
21. Field Sparrow
22. Common Raven
23. Tree Swallow
24. Savannah Sparrow (v)
25. American Robin (v)
26. Black-capped Chickadee (v)
27. Blue Jay
28. Chipping Sparrow (v)
29. Eastern Bluebird
30. Magnolia Warbler
31. Mourning Dove (v)
32. Purple Finch (v)
33. Scarlet Tanager (v)
34. Tufted Titmouse (v)
35. Great Crested Flycatcher (v)
Elsewhere
36. European Starling
37. Herring Gull
38. Common Grackle
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
This morning early I led another bird walk. An intimate affair this time—which made it more casual and fun. We saw a Magnolia Warbler, and folks got good looks at birds they’d had good looks at before. Notably, we heard the song of a first-of-year Eastern Wood-pewee.
Eastern Towhee (female).
As I did a couple days ago, I returned afterward with Jack. Despite the later hour and (much) warmer day, I got a couple photos of American Redstarts. Also saw an immature eagle.
I feel an odd affinity for redstarts, though.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7 a.m.—and again at 10:15 a.m.—I hiked all trails.
1. Ovenbird**
2. American Redstart
3. Chestnut-sided Warbler*
4. Black-throated Blue Warbler (v)
5. Blue-headed Vireo (v)
6. Red-eyed Vireo
7. Wood Thrush (v)
8. Veery
9. Black-and-white Warbler**
10. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
11. Magnolia Warbler
12. Song Sparrow*
13. Common Yellowthroat**
14. Northern Cardinal
15. Eastern Towhee
16. Hermit Thrush (v)
17. Northern Flicker (v)
18. Tufted Titmouse (v)
19. Black-capped Chickadee
20. American Crow*
21. Northern Parula* (v)
22. Yellow Warbler**
23. Gray Catbird
24. Tree Swallow
25. Field Sparrow
26. Eastern Wood-pewee†
27. Black-throated Blue Warbler (v)
28. Scarlet Tanager (v)
29. American Goldfinch
30. Blue Jay (v)
31. American Robin
32. Purple Finch (v)
33. Chipping Sparrow (v)
34. Eastern Bluebird
35. Pileated Woodpecker (v)
36. Nashville Warbler (v)
37. Common Raven
38. Bald Eagle
Elsewhere
38. Herring Gull
39. European Starling
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year bird
Bird Report is an intermittent record of what's outside my window in Rockport, Maine, USA (44°08'N latitude, 69°06'W longitude), and vicinity. —Brian Willson
