Scarlet Tanager.

Woke up, got out of bed, made sure Jack-my-dog got fed—and about five minutes later, we climbed out of the truck at the Beech Hill trailhead to the sound of a singing Scarlet Tanager. Singing very nearby. Only took a second to spot it up there, singing. The bird was between us and the the early sun, so he was backlit.

Hiked all over the hill and ran into just one other human—but plenty of bird activity this sunny, breezy, cool morning.

Then, coming back down through the woods, I heard—then saw—another singing tanager.

Or I suppose it could’ve been the same one.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:30 a.m., I hiked all trails.

1. Ovenbird**
2. Northern Cardinal (v)
3. Black-throated Green Warbler** (v)
4. Scarlet Tanager
5. Eastern Wood-pewee
6. Black-throated Blue Warbler (v)
7. Red-eyed Vireo
8. American Robin
9. American Redstart
10. Common Yellowthroat
11. Veery (v)
12. Black-capped Chickadee**
13. American Crow*
14. Chestnut-sided Warbler
15. Black-and-white Warbler (v)
16. Gray Catbird**
17. Yellow Warbler
18. Common Loon
19. Northern Flicker (v)
20. Nashville Warbler
21. Song Sparrow**
22. Alder Flycatcher
23. Blue Jay
24. Eastern Phoebe
25. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v)
26. American Goldfinch
27. Savannah Sparrow
28. White-breasted Nuthatch** (v)
29. Purple Finch (v)
30. Field Sparrow (v)
31. Hermit Thrush (v)
32. Wood Thrush (v)
33. Mourning Dove*

Elsewhere

34. Hairy Woodpecker
35. House Finch (v)
36. Herring Gull
37. European Starling
38. Rock Pigeon
39. Turkey Vulture

v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere