8 February 2025

Posts Tagged ‘northern harrier’

Poser

Thursday, September 7th, 2023
Hairy Woodpecker, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 07 September 2023.
Hairy Woodpecker.

Yet another warm, humid morning—albeit not quite as warm or humid as the past couple of days. Many more species than yesterday, including a few raptors, among them a first harrier since last spring (sign of early migration).

Several species posed for photos, too, but my favorite happened to be a woodpecker who posed for the last photo I took this day.

Beech Hill List
Starting at 7:15 a.m. EST (8:15 DST), I hiked all trails.

1. Blue Jay (v)
2. Red-eyed Vireo (v)
3. Black-capped Chickadee
4. Tufted Titmouse (v)
5. Gray Catbird (v)
6. American Crow*
7. Hermit Thrush
8. Eastern Towhee (v)
9. Black-and-white Warbler (v)
10. Eastern Phoebe
11. Common Yellowthroat
12. Cedar Waxwing
13. Yellow-rumped Warbler
14. American Goldfinch** (v)
15. Northern Harrier
16. Osprey*
17. Sharp-shinned Hawk
18. Song Sparrow
19. Broad-winged Hawk
20. Hairy Woodpecker

Elsewhere

21. Herring Gull
22. Northern Cardinal (v)
23. Mourning Dove
24. Mallard

(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere

†First-of-year

Sweet Spring

Saturday, April 8th, 2023
Gray ghost (male Northern Harrier), Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 08 April 2023.
Gray ghost (male Northern Harrier).

A nearly cloudless sky this morning, with temperatures below freezing to start. The trails weren’t muddy headed up the hill, but a bit greasy headed down. In the interim, I managed to spy two dozen bird species—and get a single photo of a gray ghost. That right there sorta made my day.

But it was also nice to run into human and dog friends, and to see that the Beech Nut phoebe has returned. (Another eagle today also.)

Wonder what Easter Sunday will bring.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:18 a.m. real time (7:18 DST), I hiked all trails.

1. Tufted Titmouse** (v)
2. Brown Creeper
3. American Goldfinch**
4. American Crow*
5. Downy Woodpecker
6. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
7. Northern Cardinal** (v)
8. Eastern Bluebird
9. Blue Jay** (v)
10. Black-capped Chickadee**
11. American Robin*
12. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v)
13. Song Sparrow**
14. Eastern Phoebe**
15. Hairy Woodpecker
16. Yellow-rumped Warbler
17 Northern Harrier
18. Herring Gull*
19. Turkey Vulture
20. Bald Eagle
21. Dark-eyed Junco (v)
22. Common Raven
23. Common Grackle
24. Ruffed Grouse (drumming)

Elsewhere

25. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v)

(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere

†First-of-year

Many Species

Friday, April 7th, 2023
Bald Eagle (juvie), Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 07 April 2023.
Bald Eagle (juvie).

The sky was blue, the air was warm, the wind was high, the trail was dryer than it’s been in a while—and the overall feeling was one of spring.

And by golly, the birds showed up. A year-so-far record of 28 species, including eagles, a harrier, kestrels, a red-tail, a flushed grouse, three woodpecker species—I could go on and on.

The coming weeks will fly by, and then the months, yet I hope to slow myself down to soak ’em right up. (Also took my bike in for a tuneup.)

P.S. First deer tick today, too.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:27 a.m. real time (7:27 DST), I hiked all trails.

1. American Crow*
2. Northern Cardinal** (v)
3. Black-capped Chickadee*
4. Brown Creeper (v)
5. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
6. Downy Woodpecker** (v)
7. Tufted Titmouse**
8. Red-winged Blackbird
9. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (drumming)
10. American Goldfinch
11. Ruffed Grouse
12. Pileated Woodpecker (v)
13. American Robin*
14. Eastern Bluebird
15. Herring Gull*
16. Blue Jay (v)
17. Golden-crowned Kinglet
18. Song Sparrow**
19. Common Loon
20. American Kestrel
21. Turkey Vulture
22. Wild Turkey*
23. Eastern Phoebe** (v)
24. Bald Eagle
25. Red-tailed Hawk
26. Northern Harrier
27. Canada Goose
28. Snow Bunting

Elsewhere

29. Mallard

(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere

†First-of-year

 
Bird Report is a (sometimes intermittent) record of the birds I encounter while hiking, see while driving, or spy outside my window. —Brian Willson



3IP Logo
©1997–2025 by 3IP