I’d predicted a little fallout tomorrow. Turned out it happened today. At 8.a.m., as soon as dog and I hit the wooded trailhead, the birds began to flit through: first-of-year Ovenbird, first-of-year Black-and-white Warbler, Blue-headed Vireos, Palm Warblers, yellow-rumps, and more.
White-throated Sparrow.
Ended up with 32 species, three of them first-of-year birds.
All in all a damn fun Cinco de Mayo.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8 a.m., I hiked all trails.
Foggy again early, but it burned off into an overcast pretty quickly. Hit the hill with Jack and right away started listing birds. A lot of birds. Had nearly a score before we reached the summit.
Palm Warbler.
One of those was quite apparent: a Snowy Owl, a male far down the eastern slope. Hard to miss the little white snowman against the snowless landscape. I feel sure this was the same bird I saw two days ago—and likely the bird the crows were mobbing in the fog yesterday, after all—but he looked a lot dryer and happier.
Had a lot of interesting birds, including a first singing Savannah Sparrow and a first-of-year Brown Thrasher (which I heard before spotting). Another towhee, but still no glimpse. Bluebirds and Tree Swallows and yellow-rumps and Palm Warblers.
All in all a wondrous hour’s walk this morning.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:15 a.m., I hiked the open trail (and then some).
1. Song Sparrow** 2. American Goldfinch (v) 3. White-throated Sparrow (v) 4. Purple Finch (v) 5. Brown-headed Cowbird 6. American Robin (v) 7. Downy Woodpecker (v) 8. Northern Cardinal** (v) 9. Eastern Phoebe** 10. Tufted Titmouse 11. Black-capped Chickadee** 12. Chipping Sparrow** 13. Field Sparrow 14. Blue Jay** (v) 15. Northern Flicker (v) 16. Yellow-rumped Warbler 17. Herring Gull* (v) 18. American Crow* 19. Common Raven (v) 20. Palm Warbler 21. Tree Swallow 22. Eastern Bluebird 23. Snowy Owl 24. Eastern Towhee (v) 25. American Kestrel 26. Brown Thrasher† 27. Double-crested Cormorant 28. Savannah Sparrow 29. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 30. Pileated Woodpecker
Elsewhere
31. House Finch (v) 32. Mourning Dove 33. House Sparrow (v) 34. European Starling 35. Common Grackle 36. Rock Pigeon
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year bird
Third straight foggy morning. Third straight warmish morning. This one had little wind, though, so the fog was thick and heavy. Still, birds arrived. First-of-year Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Little band of warblers. White-throated Sparrows singing all over the place—their sweet voices made nearer by the fog.
Out in the back fields, crows were mobbing something. Jack and I headed back there to see if it might be the owl again, but whatever it was flew before we arrived. I suspect it was a hawk in a tree.
More fog tomorrow, so I understand.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:45 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. White-throated Sparrow (v) 2. Song Sparrow* 3. Black-capped Chickadee** 4. Purple Finch (v) 5. Brown-headed Cowbird** (v) 6. Northern Flicker (v) 7. Blue Jay (v) 8. Ruby-crowned Kinglet† 9. Northern Cardinal** (v) 10. American Robin (v) 11. American Goldfinch (v) 12. American Crow* 13. Chipping Sparrow** 14. Eastern Phoebe** 15. Palm Warbler 16. Yellow-rumped Warbler 17. Tufted Titmouse
Elsewhere
18. House Finch 19. Rock Pigeon 20. Herring Gull 21. Mallard
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year bird
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
