Again nippy with partial sun, but rather windy when dog and I headed up the hill. With the loudly rustling leaves, it was hard to make out the voices of the birds in the woods—but I followed a couple pods of chickadees, who were (as often is the case) companied by quiet little warblers. Also vireos.
Four warbler spp., three corvid spp., two vireo spp, a pair of Sharp-shinned Hawks, an Osprey, and the southbound flight of three geese. Plus a raven—and another Swainson’s Thrush. (Growing to like the species a lot.)
I wonder what tomorrow will bring.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:20 a.m., I hiked all trails.
It rained most of last night, and the day dawned wet and drippy. The overcast lasted all day, but my morning hike with dog was all sweet, watery drippiness. Quiet, though, with few birds flitting around in the greenery.
Until (as yesterday) we reached a spot on the wooded trail where chickadees were chatting at each other. Sure enough, several species of small birds were accompanying the chickadees—vireo, warblers, a wood-pewee….
Also spied a Swainson’s Thrush again, perhaps the same individual as yesterday. I listened as it repeatedly uttered a sweet short note I’d never heard before.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:03 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Blue Jay (v) 2. American Crow 3. Ovenbird 4. Northern Flicker 5. Gray Catbird 6. Eastern Towhee (v) 7. Song Sparrow 8. Common Yellowthroat (v) 9. Swainson’s Thrush 10. Yellow-rumped Warbler 11. Cedar Waxwing (v) 12. Black-capped Chickadee 13. Black-throated Green Warbler 14. Black-and-white Warbler 15. Tufted Titmouse (v) 16. Red-eyed Vireo 17. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 18. White-throated Sparrow 19. American Goldfinch
Elsewhere
20. Mallard
Mammals
Eastern Gray Squirrel Eastern Chipmunk
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Rained overnight, and this morning when the sun rose, the woods were damp and drippy. Awful quiet, but birds were lurking and skulking and flitting—mostly just out of sight. A few revealed themselves, though: flickers, robins, a lone Swainson’s Thrush; calling raven and jays and goldfinches; a flushed grouse.
Even quieter on our way back down the lower wooded trail, until just a few hundred yards from the trailhead, when chickadees piped up, and a glance into the damp foliage exposed a wave of little birds—warblers, creepers, a wood-pewee.
I’m a big fan of this time of year—a time you might call summer’s last gasp.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:45 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Common Raven (v) 2. Blue Jay** 3. Black-capped Chickadee 4. Northern Flicker 5. Yellow-rumped Warbler 6. Gray Catbird 7. Eastern Towhee 8. Swainson’s Thrush 9. American Robin* 10. Red-eyed Vireo 11. American Goldfinch** 12. Ruffed Grouse 13. American Crow* 14. Common Yellowthroat 15. Cedar Waxwing 16. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 17. Song Sparrow 18. White-breasted Nuthatch** (v) 19. Savannah Sparrow 20. White-throated Sparrow 21. Downy Woodpecker (v) 22. Brown Creeper 23. Black-and-white Warbler 24. Chestnut-sided Warbler 25. Black-throated Green Warbler 26. Eastern Wood-pewee
Mammals
Eastern Gray Squirrel Eastern Chipmunk
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
