A cool and sunny morning. Still quiet, bird-wise, so it took some gazing in the canopy to spy the little birds along the lower wooded trail. Notable in the open fields were a pair of Broad-winged Hawks and a vulture.
Returning in the upper woods, I got a look at a couple warblers along the trail. Even got a photo of one, a juvie Chestnut-sided Warbler. It was looking right at me.
Beech Hill List Starting at 6:54 a.m. EST (7:54 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Wild Turkey 2. Red-eyed Vireo** (v) 3. American Goldfinch 4. Eastern Wood-pewee 5. Tufted Titmouse (v) 6. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 7. Black-and-white Warbler 8. Ovenbird (v) 9. Brown Creeper (v) 10. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 11. American Crow* 12. Eastern Towhee 13. Gray Catbird (v) 14. Alder Flycatcher 15. Cedar Waxwing 16. Song Sparrow 17. Broad-winged Hawk 18. Turkey Vulture 19. Northern Cardinal (v) 20. American Robin 21. Common Yellowthroat (v) 22. Chestnut-sided Warbler
Elsewhere
23. Herring Gull 24. Rock Pigeon 25. Bald Eagle
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
The highlight of this foggy morning hike, bird-wise, were the several appearances of the resident Song Sparrows—including one who popped right up and sang to dog and me.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:45 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Red-eyed Vireo** (v)
2. American Robin* (v)
3. Chestnut-sided Warbler (v)
4. Tufted Titmouse (v)
5. Blue Jay (v)
6. Northern Cardinal*
7. Chipping Sparrow
8. Song Sparrow
9. American Goldfinch** (v)
10. Eastern Towhee
11. Alder Flycatcher (v)
12. Common Yellowthroat (v)
13. Gray Catbird
14. Mourning Dove*
15. Cedar Waxwing
16. Black-capped Chickadee (v)
17. Field Sparrow (v)
18. Barn Swallow
19. Purple Finch (v)
20. Eastern Phoebe
21. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
22. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v)
Elsewhere
23. Rock Pigeon
24. Herring Gull
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Took a quick hike with Jack this morning—up and down in 45 minutes—so I could return to help lead a field trip of enthusiastic middle schoolers studying symbiosis. We saw interesting birds (including a young herring gull eating blueberries, a thing I’d never encountered), studied various insects, and found a tiny snake. It was a fun time.
I also got a look at one happy Cedar Waxwing—perched in a cloud of newly hatched flies, just pickin’ ’em up one by one—and spied a high-flying Red-shouldered Hawk emitting its distinctive (if faraway) cry.
Waxwing heaven, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 13 September 2017.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8 a.m.—and again about 9:15 a.m.—I hiked the open trail.
1. American Crow*
2. Black-capped Chickadee (v)
3. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
4. Tufted Titmouse (v)
5. Blue Jay (v)
6. Northern Flicker
7. Savannah Sparrow
8. Eastern Towhee (v)
9. Song Sparrow
10. American Goldfinch**
11. Cedar Waxwing
12. Eastern Phoebe
13. Yellow-rumped Warbler
14. Red-eyed Vireo
15. Black-and-white Warbler
16. Pine Warbler
17. Common Yellowthroat
18. Gray Catbird
19. Downy Woodpecker
20. Herring Gull*
21. Common Raven (v)
22. Red-shouldered Hawk
Elsewhere
23. Mourning Dove
24. Northern Cardinal
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
