The prognosticators were right: fog this morning. Not real warm, but warm enough to feel the impressive humidity of the air. And the birds—many more birds than just a couple months ago—didn’t seem to mind.
Many more birds because of reproduction, of course. And still the mission of keeping all those fledglings safe and healthy is in the misty air.
I often wonder just how many more birds are fluttering around at this time of year than there were at, say, the beginning of May. Twice as many? Three times as many? More?
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:49 a.m. EST (8:49 DST), I hiked all trails.
Was supposed to rain much of this morning, but when I checked the weather radar, I only saw a few green patches. It was raining lightly when dog and I got to the trailhead, but within about twenty minutes, it’d stopped, and the rest of our hike happened in nearly calm air under a misty overcast. And birds showed up. Not as many as yesterday, but lots.
I heard the voices of youngsters, saw adults with beaks full of insect parts, saw a chipmunk that looked like somebody’s grandpa.
Most notable, however, might’ve been the vireo that posed for me.
Beech Hill List Starting at 6:47 a.m. EST (7:47 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Ovenbird** 2. Red-eyed Vireo 3. Chestnut-sided Warbler 4. Northern Parula (v) 5. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 6. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 7. Song Sparrow 8. Veery 9. American Goldfinch 10. American Crow* 11. Eastern Towhee** 12. Alder Flycatcher (v) 13. American Redstart 14. Gray Catbird** 15. Yellow Warbler (v) 16. Eastern Phoebe 17. Black-capped Chickadee** 18. Black-and-white Warbler 19. Tufted Titmouse** 20. American Robin* 21. Cedar Waxwing 22. Hermit Thrush 23. Scarlet Tanager (v) 24. Common Yellowthroat (v) 25. Field Sparrow (v) 26. Eastern Bluebird 27. Blue Jay (v) 28. Turkey Vulture
Elsewhere
29. Mallard 30. Herring Gull 31. Rock Pigeon 32. Merlin
Mammals
Eastern Chipmunk
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Warmer this morning than a day ago, but with a healthy southwest wind. Did not know what to expect, bird-wise.
Not a lot of species to start (nor photo ops), although the highlight was likely the Merlin that we spooked at the summit and I could not photograph as it flapped swiftly away.
Had only a dozen spp. by the time we returned down the lower wooded trail. Did not expect more. But then I heard the voice of a Golden-crowned Kinglet, and spotted a few, and a Brown Creeper appeared. And, after that little pause to attempt actual bird pics, I heard a pair of bluebirds and watched a gull fly away above the canopy.
Clouds are supposed to gather tomorrow, with rain Friday night. Saturday we might get to hike in afternoon for a change.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:14 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. American Crow** 2. Tufted Titmouse 3. American Goldfinch** 4. Black-capped Chickadee 5. Blue Jay 6. Hairy Woodpecker 7. Downy Woodpecker (v) 8. Yellow-rumped Warbler 9. White-throated Sparrow (v) 10. Merlin 11. Purple Finch (v) 12. American Robin (v) 13. Golden-crowned Kinglet 14. Brown Creeper 15. Eastern Bluebird (v) 16. Herring Gull*
Elsewhere
17. Northern Cardinal (v)
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
