Drizzle early, rain late. In between times, dog and I hiked a hill—a hill that was having some trail work done, so we hurried past the noise and to the summit, where, at the tip of the tallest tree in the spruce grove, perched a solitary Merlin. Well, I mean, Merlins are mostly solitary—but there it was.
Nice little surprise on a lowery sort of day.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 9:15 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Black-capped Chickadee**
2. American Goldfinch (v)
3. Downy Woodpecker (v)
4. Dark-eyed Junco
5. Yellow-rumped Warbler
6. American Crow*
7. Merlin
8. American Robin
9. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v)
10. Northern Flicker
11. Song Sparrow (v)
12. Purple Finch (v)
13. Northern Cardinal (v)
Elsewhere
14. Rock Pigeon
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Not quite as cold, not quite as windy. Overcast for a little while, then the sun came out. Surprise birds—Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Red-breasted Nuthatch—along with the usual (for the season) crows and yellow-rumps. Plus, I got a very quick glimpse of a Merlin.
American Crow.
Earlier, in the front yard by the road, I snapped a portrait of a crow.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 9 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Yellow-rumped Warbler
2. American Crow
3. Downy Woodpecker
4. Black-capped Chickadee
5. Northern Flicker
6. Brown Creeper
7. Golden-crowned Kinglet
8. Red-breasted Nuthatch
9. Merlin
10. Blue Jay
Elsewhere
11. Herring Gull
12. Rock Pigeon
13. House Sparrow
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
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
