Thicker fog, cooler temps, drippier understory—that about describes the meteorological conditions as dog and I headed up the main Beech Hill trail. Honestly, so foggy I didn’t think I’d get close to any decent bird photos. If in fact we I caught sight of any birds.
Right away I caught sight of several species moving around in the dim, drippy trees. And eventually I managed several pretty decent pics.
Supposed to be rainy tomorrow. We shall see.
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:58 a.m. EST (8:58 DST), I hiked all trails.
It was a cool and overcast morning, a kind of weather I truly love to hike in. Something about that layer of clouds above makes me feel safe, like a soft, protective ceiling. And Captain Jack, with his thick fur coat, liked the coolness.
Yesterday’s wayward solo lark appeared again. So did at least one raven—and, most surprisingly, a Sharp-shinned Hawk. I heard a jay first, just ahead of us around a leafy corner, then the hawk. It’s bright rapid cries made me stop in my tracks. I peaked around the leafy corner, and danged if the bird didn’t allow me a decent photo.
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:08 a.m. EST (8:08 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Gray Catbird (v) 2. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 3. Black-capped Chickadee** 4. American Crow* (v) 5. Common Yellowthroat (v) 6. Song Sparrow 7. Blue Jay** 8. Horned Lark 9. Yellow-rumped Warbler 10. Northern Flicker (v) 11. Common Raven 12. American Goldfinch** 13. Eastern Towhee (v) 14. Red-eyed Vireo (v) 15. Sharp-shinned Hawk 16. American Robin (v) 17. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 18. Tufted Titmouse (v)
Two Beech Hill hikes today: a quick, early one with Jack-my-dog, and a later, longer one with a group of curious kids on a middle school field trip. Both were fun.
Ten species early and another six later—the latter ones being most interesting (including an eagle accompanied by hawks). Alas, the last bird on my list was deceased: a dead Black-and-white Warbler I found lying along the trail near the summit. My guess is the bird flew into a window of the hut and managed to flutter across the lawn a ways before succumbing to its injuries. Whatever the case, it’s always sad to find a dead bird.
Migration is risky no matter who you are, and some migrants don’t make it to their destinations. I tossed the little warbler into a soft, shady patch of grass.
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:30 a.m. EST (8:30 DST), I hiked all trails.
