4 November 2024

Posts Tagged ‘red-winged blackbird’

Fallen Maple

Monday, July 10th, 2023
Fallen maple, Beech Hill Preserver, Rockport, Maine, 10 July 2023.
Fallen maple.

Within seconds after dog and I started up the wooded trail this morning, my world shifted. Up ahead of us I saw that the big mama maple tree near the trailhead, likely progenitor of the many other maples in the sugarbush there, had fallen across the trail. A huge tree she was, and handsome enough that I’ve taken dozens (scores?) of photos of her over the years, and there before us lay her fat trunk and thick leafy branches—some of them broken, some nearby trees scraped from nearby trees… What a surprise, what a shock, what a sound she must’ve made at the end.

Somehow, we wiggled through the obstacles and continued on a hike that was very different from usual—and will surely be a memorable one.

Birds were good—two vocal, chasing ravens among them—but they were not the most notable part of this day.

Beech Hill List
Starting at 7:09 a.m. EST (8:09 DST), I hiked all trails.

1. Red-eyed Vireo** (v)
2. American Goldfinch
3. Ovenbird** (v)
4. Wood Thrush (v)
5. Veery (v)
6. Blue Jay (v)
7. Pileated Woodpecker (v)
8. Eastern Wood-pewee (v)
9. Black-capped Chickadee**
10. Common Raven
11. Osprey (v)
12. Brown Creeper (v)
13. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
14. Gray Catbird
15. Eastern Towhee
16. American Crow* (v)
17. Hermit Thrush (v)
18. Chestnut-sided Warbler
19. Alder Flycatcher (v)
20. Song Sparrow**
21. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
22. Common Yellowthroat
23. Field Sparrow (v)
24. Yellow Warbler (v)
25. American Robin (v)
26. Northern Flicker
27. Black-throated Green Warbler** (v)
28. Tufted Titmouse (v)
29. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v)
30. Eastern Bluebird (v)
31. Cedar Waxwing (v)
32. Eastern Phoebe
33. Black-and-white Warbler**

Elsewhere

34. Mallard
35. Mourning Dove
36. Herring Gull
37. House Finch
38. Swamp Sparrow† (v)
39. Red-winged Blackbird (v)

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

†First-of-year

Surprises

Thursday, July 6th, 2023
Chestnut-sided Warbler, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 06 July 2023.
Chestnut-sided Warbler.

A warm, humid morning, this one. Dog and I headed up the trail at the usual time, unsure (at least I was) of what birds we’d encounter under such suddenly interesting conditions.

Quite a few, turns out—including a couple of surprises.

E.g., an Eastern Kingbird showed up out of nowhere and commenced to chasing other birds around. Another example: I happened to spy a juvie Brown-headed Cowbird. Possibly (judging by the nearness of a pair of them) raised by Yellow Warblers.

But this morning’s most photogenic bird? A Chestnut-sided Warbler.

Beech Hill List
Starting at 6:32 a.m. EST (7:32 DST), I hiked all trails.

1. Ovenbird**
2. Black-throated Green Warbler** (v)
3. Eastern Phoebe*
4. American Goldfinch**
5. Red-eyed Vireo** (v)
6. Pileated Woodpecker (v)
7. Black-capped Chickadee**
8. Wood Thrush (v)
9. Chestnut-sided Warbler
10. Veery**
11. White-breasted Nuthatch
12. Scarlet Tanager
13. Blue Jay (v)
14. Eastern Wood-pewee
15. Common Yellowthroat
16. Song Sparrow**
17. American Robin*
18. Hermit Thrush (v)
19. Eastern Bluebird
20. Field Sparrow (v)
21. American Crow*
22. Gray Catbird**
23. Eastern Kingbird
24. Yellow Warbler
25. Eastern Towhee
26. Alder Flycatcher (v)
27. Prairie Warbler (v)
28. Tufted Titmouse (v)
29. Hairy Woodpecker (v)
30. Downy Woodpecker (v)
31. Red-winged Blackbird (v)
32. Northern Cardinal* (v)
33. Mourning Dove*
34. Black-and-white Warbler (v)
35. Herring Gull
36. Brown-headed Cowbird
37. Chipping Sparrow (v)

Elsewhere

38. Chimney Swift

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

†First-of-year

Mouthfuls

Wednesday, July 5th, 2023
Black-and-white Warbler, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 05 July 2023.
Black-and-white Warbler (male).

A warm and sunny morning for a change, leading to a warmer late morning and midday. During my daily hike with dog, it seemed everywhere I looked I saw birds with bills full of insects. Hungry fledglings all over the place.

Plenty of birds were singing, also, voicing their territorial claims. A particular Black-and-white Warbler stopped singing and posed for a photo.

Warm again tomorrow, so they say. I expect similar bird behavior on the hill.

(In late afternoon, I hiked with a friend up Ragged Mountain and heard the hoots of a Barred Owl.)

Beech Hill List
Starting at 6:01 a.m. EST (7:01 DST), I hiked all trails.

1. Ovenbird
2. Black-throated Green Warbler (v)
3. Eastern Phoebe (v)
4. American Goldfinch
5. Red-eyed Vireo** (v)
6. Pileated Woodpecker (drumming)
7. Black-capped Chickadee** (v)
8. Wood Thrush** (v)
9. Chestnut-sided Warbler** (v)
10. Veery**
11. White-breasted Nuthatch** (v)
12. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v)
13. Blue Jay (v)
14. Eastern Wood-pewee (v)
15. Common Yellowthroat
16. Song Sparrow*
17. American Robin*
18. Hermit Thrush
19. Eastern Bluebird
20. Field Sparrow (v)
21. American Crow*
22. Gray Catbird*
23. Northern Flicker
24. Yellow Warbler**
25. Eastern Towhee
26. Alder Flycatcher (v)
27. Prairie Warbler (v)
28. Tufted Titmouse (v)
29. Hairy Woodpecker (v)
30. Great Crested Flycatcher* (v)
31. Red-winged Blackbird** (v)
32. Turkey Vulture
33. Mourning Dove**
34. Black-and-white Warbler
35. American Redstart

Elsewhere

36. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
37. Herring Gull
38. Chipping Sparrow (v)
39. Barred Owl (v)

(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



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