Was supposed to rain lightly today, but dog and I awoke to a foggy morning. And it remained foggy—a thick fog, a calm atmosphere—throughout our two-hour hike up the hill.
Didn’t expect much in the way of photos—and wasn’t sure of bird numbers, either—but was pleasantly surprised in both cases. Had thirteen species, and a few half-way-decent photos, a first-of-year kinglet, and a decent pic of a female Pileated Woodpecker.
Pretty sure we’re supposed to get a little sun tomorrow. Maybe we’ll even get another first-of-year bird.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 6:58 a.m. (7:58 stupid DST), I hiked all trails.
1. American Robin 2. American Crow* 3. Black-capped Chickadee** 4. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v) 5. Blue Jay (v) 6. Herring Gull* (v) 7. Eastern Bluebird 8. Pileated Woodpecker 9. Ruby-crowned Kinglet† 10. Tufted Titmouse (v) 11. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 12. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 13. Red-winged Blackbird (v)
Elsewhere
14. European Starling (v) 15. Mallard 16. Rock Pigeon
Mammals
American Red Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
The sun shone this morning. Fog and rain and clouds had dispersed—well, most of ’em—and the brightness of our star rendered the landscape bright and colorful and squint-worthy. Birds were about, too—but, oddly, fewer sparrows. (Perhaps the recent socked-in days brought them down to browse for food.)
Two hawks, two corvids, two finches, two thrushes, two woodpeckers. A kinglet, a creeper, still quite a few yellow-rumps.
Most notable, perhaps, were the bluebirds fluttering around the spruce grove at the summit. Those, and the kinglets. And the promise of more birds to come.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:05 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. American Crow 2. Yellow-rumped Warbler 3. Blue Jay 4. Hairy Woodpecker 5. American Robin 6. Hermit Thrush 7. Black-capped Chickadee 8. American Goldfinch 9. Eastern Bluebird 10. Northern Flicker 11. White-throated Sparrow 12. Purple Finch 13. Song Sparrow 14. Herring Gull 15. Sharp-shinned Hawk 16. Cooper’s Hawk 17. Brown Creeper 18. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Elsewhere
19. Northern Cardinal
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Thicker fog this morning than yesterday. Rained overnight but let up at dawn, as forecast, just in time for a nice damp hike for dog and me. Didn’t expect a lot of bird action—certainly no decent photos in such dim light—but was surprised to find both.
Mostly photos of sparrows: Savannah, song, white-crowned, white-throated, swamp—and a passel of juncos. Sparrows lining the trail in the grass and in small trees, leading us up and down the hill.
I shall fondly remember this fine, wet day.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:24 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. American Crow* 2. White-throated Sparrow 3. American Robin 4. Yellow-rumped Warbler 5. Song Sparrow 6. Northern Flicker 7. Dark-eyed Junco 8. Black-capped Chickadee** (v) 9. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 10. Brown Creeper (v) 11. Hairy Woodpecker (v) 12. Savannah Sparrow 13. Swamp Sparrow 14. White-crowned Sparrow 15. Wild Turkey*
Elsewhere
16. Herring Gull
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
