16 February 2025

Posts Tagged ‘ruffed grouse’

Sun and Shadow

Sunday, June 25th, 2023
Chestnut-sided Warbler, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 25 June 2023.
Chestnut-sided Warbler.

Rain was in this morning’s forecast as late as last evening. Rain did not occur. Instead, an early foggy overcast burned away to let the sun shine through. The birds seemed to appreciate it.

Not that we encountered any particularly odd species, dog and me—although we did spook a grouse—but they were busily angling for food, feeding youngsters, posing for closeups, flying over at a distant, vocalizing while staying out of sight.

Tomorrow, however, I expect the forecast rain (or showers) will arrive. Will be ready for it.

Beech Hill List
Starting at 6:37 a.m. EST (7:37 DST), I hiked all trails.

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

Elsewhere

35. Mallard
36. Herring Gull
37. House Finch
38. Red-bellied Woodpecker

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

†First-of-year

Tanager

Saturday, May 13th, 2023
Scarlet Tanager (first of year), Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine, 13 May 2023.
Scarlet Tanager (first of year).

It seemed a little early to have a tanager show up on the hill during my morning hike with dog, but there he was. I heard him first—as is nearly always the case—and crept up close enough for a photo. Last year I don’t believe I encountered a tanager at all (not sure), but know I didn’t see one. They used to arrive in late May, early June. A sign of warming? Likely so.

Coincidentally, about the same time I spied the tanager, I noticed an Olive-sided Flycatcher perched high on a small snag, with nothing but blue sky beyond. Those were the only firsts-of-year on our hike this morning.

But what a fun and lovely morning it was.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:05 a.m. sun time (7:05 DST), I hiked all trails.

1. Ovenbird**
2. Chestnut-sided Warbler
3. Black-throated Green Warbler** (v)
4. American Goldfinch
5. Common Yellowthroat (v)
6. Blue Jay**
7. American Restart (v)
8. Tufted Titmouse (v)
9. Purple Finch (v)
10. Northern Parula (v)
11. American Crow*
12. Veery (v)
13. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (v)
14. Black-and-white Warbler
15. Eastern Towhee
16. Scarlet Tanager†
17. Olive-sided Flycatcher†
18. Gray Catbird (v)
19. Black-capped Chickadee
20. Field Sparrow (v)
21. Yellow Warbler
22. Song Sparrow (v)
23. White-throated Sparrow
24. Ruffed Grouse (drumming)
25. Yellow-rumped Warbler
26. Chipping Sparrow
27. Eastern Bluebird
28. Tree Swallow
29. Eastern Phoebe
30. Osprey
31. Turkey Vulture
32. Broad-winged Hawk
33. Prairie Warbler (v)
34. Pine Warbler** (v)
35. Blue-headed Vireo (v)
36. Nashville Warbler (v)
37. Baltimore Oriole (v)
38. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)

Elsewhere

39. Mallard
40. Mourning Dove
41. Wild Turkey

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

†First-of-year

Ovenbird

Thursday, May 11th, 2023
Ovenbird, Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport, Maine 11 May 2023.
Ovenbird.

’Tis the season of the Ovenbird. Just now they’re singing teacher–teacher–TEACHER! all through the woodlands around here. I might well have mentioned before that I set my phone’s ringtone to the song of the Ovenbird so I’d never hear it at this time of year. (These days I leave my cell on mute while birding.)

They’ve been around for several days, but today was the first time one posed for a photo, perched about twenty or thirty feet up in the canopy.

Today’s first-of-year bird? Another one word species: Veery. I’ve missed this plain little thrush. Won’t be long before a lot of other species will be arriving—flycatchers, tanagers, and the like.

Also saw a hare and snake. I love these greening days.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:18 a.m. sun time (7:18 DST), I hiked all trails.

1. Ovenbird**
2. Song Sparrow**
3. Black-throated Green Warbler** (v)
4. Downy Woodpecker
5. American Goldfinch**
6. Eastern Phoebe*
7. Black-capped Chickadee
8. Northern Parula (v)
9. Black-and-white Warbler
10. Eastern Towhee
11. Blue-headed Vireo (v)
12. Blue Jay (v)
13. Chestnut-sided Warbler
14. Veery† (v)
15. American Crow*
16. Northern Cardinal
17. Tufted Titmouse** (v)
18. Gray Catbird
19. Herring Gull* (v)
20. Ruffed Grouse (drumming)
21. Purple Finch**
22. American Robin**
23. White-throated Sparrow** (v)
24. Common Yellowthroat (v)
25. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
26. Yellow-rumped Warbler
27. Field Sparrow (v)
28. Chipping Sparrow
29. Eastern Bluebird
30. Turkey Vulture
31. Tree Swallow
32. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v)
33. Savannah Sparrow
34. Prairie Warbler (v)

Elsewhere

35. Pine Warbler
36. Mallard
37. European Starling
38. Rock Pigeon

Mammals

Snowshoe Hare

Reptiles

Common Garter Snake

(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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