Cool and bright this morning. The birds remain quiet for the most part, although occasionally I could spy a little warbler poking about in the canopy along the wooded trail. An Osprey soared over the barrens up top, and waxwings crowned the spruces, as usual these days.
Beech Hill List Starting at 6:54 a.m. EST (7:54 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo** (v) 2. Blue Jay (v) 3. American Goldfinch 4. Common Raven (v) 5. Eastern Wood-pewee** 6. Tufted Titmouse (v) 7. American Crow* 8. White-breasted Nuthatch** (v) 9. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 10. Hermit Thrush (v) 11. Eastern Bluebird 12. Cedar Waxwing 13. Gray Catbird (v) 14. Eastern Towhee 15. Alder Flycatcher (v) 16. Herring Gull 17. Song Sparrow 18. Osprey* 19. Yellow Warbler (v) 20. American Redstart 21. American Robin (v)
Elsewhere
22. Mourning Dove
Reptiles
Red-bellied Snake
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
A wonderfully overcast day. I love sunny days, of course, and snowy winter days, and days of every other kind of skies—but every so often comes a special overcast that seems to me protective, like a blanket. This was one of those.
What’s more, lots of birds—including a couple of firsts-of-year: Red-eyed Vireo and Great Crested Flycatcher. (Also a two firsts elsewhere.) And plenty of other resident species have yet to arrive, which makes for the certainty of near-future excitement.
Also had the honor of holding a Red-bellied Snake, for a moment, gently. The snake was another first of year.
The trails were dry this morning for the first time in a while, but a few overnight rain showers are forecast, then sun tomorrow. Already imagining what sort of day it’ll be.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 6:18 a.m. sun time (7:18 DST), I hiked all trails.