Savannah sparrow.

Rained all day, as promised. Checked the weather radar late, and it looked to bet letting up a bit, so Jack and I made our way to Beech Hill.

Misty drizzle. Breezy. The now-full foliage looked slick and green. The poison ivy patch at the trailhead is coming along nicely. We made our way along the straight stretch, where I caught sight of what I’m pretty sure was a hermit thrush flitting across our path. (It might’ve been some other thrush, but I’ve seen mostly hermit thrushes in that particular area.) Then a loud warbler song came from the trees ahead of us. I didn’t recognize it at first—a jumble of loud notes. Yellow-rump? Chestnut-sided? We moved off-trail a ways in case I could spot it, but every motion I saw in the greenery turned out to be a moving leaf, splattered by falling water. Whenever the breeze picked up, it might as well have been a mini-downpour. Although I heard its song repeatedly, I never did see the bird. Finally decided it was a chestnut-sided warbler singing its mid-season variant call, but the song sounded oddly loud and caustic because of the acoustics of a rainy woodland.

American woodcock.

Continued on up the trail. Or should I say the stream. We didn’t walk so much as wade through running water. The foliage is full now, and the ferns are high. Above the spattering, I heard the faint call of a distant a redstart. Heard a towhee’s wheep! note. Heard the call of a crow.

We ascended quickly. Before long, my jeans were soaked to mid-calf from brushing against soggy grass and berry branches. Mosquitos somehow found a way to hover, despite all the falling water, but at least there would likely be few ticks today.

At the upper fields, common yellowthroats were singing here and there—by far the most vocal birds of the afternoon. Heard the notes of a veery. And we surprised a family of song sparrows whispering sibilant notes to each other from either side of the spruce grove. Didn’t see the phoebes, but I did spot a savannah sparrow preening in the rain. At our approach, the bird flitted up onto the roof of Beech Nut. I’m sure they’ve got a nest up there.

We didn’t stay up there long, turned and descended into the drippy, flowing lower wooded trail. Heard a hermit thrush. Heard no pewee. About half-way down, I recognized the calls of brown creepers. Then a chickadee. We slowed our pace along the muddiest stretch of track in case I might spot a brown creeper climbing a trunk—never mind that the woods were way too dark for a decent photo. And then I saw something fluttering out of a tree and onto the trail up ahead. A woodcock. It would flap its wings, then disappear into the tall grass, then return to the trail and flap again. We stopped and began to stalk it down through the big oak grove. The woodcock continued this behavior. I knew it must’ve seen us and began to realize it was endeavoring to drawing our attention away from wherever its brood must be. We followed it for a while. I tried for photos but didn’t get much. At last, after we past the point where I’d first seen it, it flew suddenly away and back into the trees—apparently near where its family awaited.

Poison ivy.

As I stood looking back into the trees for the bird, a creaking, groaning sound burst from right above us, startling both dog and me. If not for his leash, in fact, Jack would’ve dashed away. A dose of adrenaline entered my bloodstream, but I’m happy to report no big limb fell—although that’s exactly what it sounded like was about to happen.

Back where I’d heard that first warbler, it was still singing. But we didn’t pause to look for it. We were pretty wet by then.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 5:15 p.m., I hiked the wooded trails.

1. Hermit thrush
2. Chestnut-sided warbler (v)
3. American redstart (v)
4. Eastern towhee (v)
5. American crow (v)
6. Ovenbird (v)
7. Eastern towhee (v)
8. Common yellowthroat (v)
9. Veery (v)
10. American robin (v)
11. Song sparrow
12. Savannah sparrow
13. Brown creeper (v)
14. Black-capped chickadee (v)
15. American woodcock

Elsewhere

16. House finch (v)
17. Herring gull
18. Mallard
19. Mourning dove