Stayed up late last night, slept late-ish this morning. Captain Jack and I didn’t make it to the hill until about 8 o’clock sun time. Sunny and cool and breezy, didn’t think I’d list so many birds at the late hour—but turned out I matched yesterday’s total number of species.
No firsts-of-year, no lifers. Mostly the usual suspects (along with a calling Black-billed Cuckoo, a species I hope to catch sight of one day). Some posed, although my captures tended toward the plain.
Still, what a lovely morning, and what a magical place we get to hang out in every day, dog and me.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 9:01 a.m., I hiked most trails.
A mostly clear, coolish, breezy morning. Just a lovely day. Quite a few birds about despite the wind—including a surprise vagrant on our return, one that happened to be a lifer for me. A Summer Tanager (female).
I assumed at first it was a female Scarlet Tanager. Kind of embarrassed I didn’t notice the differences in the field. Unmistakable, though, in retrospect.
Otherwise just a very lovely day overall. Rode my bike this afternoon to do errands. (Never had thundershowers last night, BTW.)
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:49 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Chestnut-sided Warbler** 2. Red-eyed Vireo** 3. Ovenbird** 4. Tufted Titmouse (v) 5. Song Sparrow** 6. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 7. American Goldfinch (v) 8. American Crow* 9. Black-capped Chickadee 10. Veery (v) 11. Gray Catbird** 12. Wood Thrush (v) 13. Black-and-white Warbler 14. Northern Parula 15. Eastern Towhee 16. American Redstart 17. Common Yellowthroat 18. Ruby-throated Hummingbird (v) 19. Alder Flycatcher 20. Yellow Warbler 21. Chipping Sparrow** 22. Field Sparrow 23. American Robin 24. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v) 25. Tree Swallow 26. Eastern Bluebird 27. Great Crested Flycatcher (v) 28. Turkey Vulture* 29. Savannah Sparrow 30. Eastern Wood-pewee 31. Blue-headed Vireo 32. Brown Creeper 33. Summer Tanager†‡ 34. Northern Flicker (v)
Cooled off a lot overnight, and dawn revealed a foggy landscape. Drippy trees, but only a little drizzle during my hike with my favorite dog of all time.
Nearly thirty species despite the lowery weather. No new migrants, but Wood Thrush and Scarlet Tanager again. (Two of the former, in fact.) Saw no one else on the damp hill until we’d almost finished our hike, when we met a little batch of kids being led in the drizzle by (what appeared to be) two dads.
(Start ’em young, young parents. Get those kiddos out in the woods.)
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:25 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Ovenbird** 2. Black-throated Green Warbler** (v) 3. Tufted Titmouse (v) 4. Pine Warbler** (v) 5. Eastern Phoebe* 6. Northern Parula 7. Blue Jay 8. Chestnut-sided Warbler 9. Black-and-white Warbler 10. American Crow* (v) 11. American Robin 12. Northern Cardinal** (v) 14. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 15. Northern Flicker (v) 16. Eastern Towhee 17. Common Yellowthroat 18. Song Sparrow** 19. Yellow Warbler (v) 20. Wild Turkey 21. Tree Swallow 22. White-throated Sparrow (v) 23. Field Sparrow (v) 24. Hermit Thrush (v) 25. Chipping Sparrow (v) 26. Yellow-rumped Warbler 27. Mourning Dove 28. Wood Thrush (v) 29. Scarlet Tanager (v)
Elsewhere
30. Mallard
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
