We were supposed to get a few showers this morning, but we got fog instead. Lots of fog—thick fog. It was pretty much a soup situation. I honestly didn’t think at first that I’d get any bird photos.
I knew I’d get some bird species, though (thanks to the fact that I’ve still got crazy good hearing for my age)—and I did, as dog and I hike around through a cloud.
Then, lo, I spied an Ovenbird singing along the lower wooded trail. (Managed pics of two other species, too, but they didn’t match the vibe.)
More steady rain tomorrow—or so the prognosticators say.
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:21 a.m. EST (8:21 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Northern Cardinal 2. Red-eyed Vireo** 3. Ovenbird 4. Eastern Phoebe* (v) 5. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 6. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 7. Blue Jay* (v) 8. Ruby-crowned Kinglet (v) 9. Black-and-white Warbler (v) 10. American Goldfinch (v) 11. American Crow* (v) 12. Hermit Thrush (v) 13. Eastern Towhee** 14. Chestnut-sided Warbler 15. Alder Flycatcher (v) 16. Gray Catbird* 17. Song Sparrow** 18. Yellow Warbler (v) 19. Cedar Waxwing (v) 20. Common Yellowthroat 21. Field Sparrow (v) 22. Eastern Bluebird 23. Veery (v) 24. American Redstart (v) 25. Savannah Sparrow (v) 26. American Robin* (v)
Elsewhere
27. Mallard 28. Herring Gull
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Again Jack and I hiked the Ragged Mountain Snow Bowl trails with our best dog and human friends. Warm again but not as bright, with rain in the late-morning forecast. Not the number of bird species as last time, but still a fun hike in a different place with a lot going on.
Saw my first bluebird fledgling up there perched on a lift cable. Also a starling clearly nesting somewhere up there among the gears.
Tomorrow it’ll be back to Beech Hill, but we’ll hit the mountain again soon, I bet.
(An alphabetized list again.)
Camden Snow Bowl Trails List Starting at 6:48 a.m. EST (7:48 DST), I hiked some Camden Snow Bowl trails.
1. Alder Flycatcher 2. American Goldfinch 3. American Redstart (v) 4. American Robin* 5. Baltimore Oriole (v) 6. Black-and-white Warbler (v) 7. Brown Creeper (v) 8. Cedar Waxwing 9. Chipping Sparrow (v) 10. Common Yellowthroat (v) 11. Eastern Bluebird 12. Eastern Phoebe* (v) 13. Eastern Towhee (v) 14. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 15. European Starling 16. Great Crested Flycatcher 17. Least Flycatcher (v) 18. Mourning Dove** (v) 19. Ovenbird (v) 20. Red-eyed Vireo** (v) 21. Red-winged Blackbird 22. Ruby-crowned Kinglet (v) 24. Scarlet Tanager (v) 24. Song Sparrow* 25. Tree Swallow 26. Tufted Titmouse (v) 27. Turkey Vulture 28. Wild Turkey 29. Yellow Warbler (v)
Elsewhere
30. Mallard 31. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v) 32. American Crow
Mammals
Eastern Chipmunk
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Black-throated Green Warbler (singing with its mouth full).
This morning dawned sunny and pleasantly cool, mid- to upper-50s (F). The forecasters suggested it’d get warmer, which gave me the idea of hiking over the hill and down the trail to the Erickson Fields Preserve. So that’s what dog and I did.
Was a long hike—both time-wise and miles-wise—but well worth it. The Erickson Fields trail traverses quite a different habitat from Beech Hill’s hardwoods and barrens (old-growth spruce/pine and grasslands), which support a notably different array of wild birds. Had multiple Black-throated Blue Warblers, saw a bunch of Ruby-crowned Kinglets, even heard the very high-pitched song of a Blackburnian Warbler. And at the far end was a grassy field with Barn Swallows zipping around.
I’m astonished that I waited so long to take that lovely hike. We’ll be doing it again real soon, dog and I.
Beech Hill/Erickson Fields List Starting at 6:09 a.m. EST (7:09 DST), I hiked all trails at both preserves.
