Stayed up late last night, slept late-ish this morning. Captain Jack and I didn’t make it to the hill until about 8 o’clock sun time. Sunny and cool and breezy, didn’t think I’d list so many birds at the late hour—but turned out I matched yesterday’s total number of species.
No firsts-of-year, no lifers. Mostly the usual suspects (along with a calling Black-billed Cuckoo, a species I hope to catch sight of one day). Some posed, although my captures tended toward the plain.
Still, what a lovely morning, and what a magical place we get to hang out in every day, dog and me.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 9:01 a.m., I hiked most trails.
A mostly clear, coolish, breezy morning. Just a lovely day. Quite a few birds about despite the wind—including a surprise vagrant on our return, one that happened to be a lifer for me. A Summer Tanager (female).
I assumed at first it was a female Scarlet Tanager. Kind of embarrassed I didn’t notice the differences in the field. Unmistakable, though, in retrospect.
Otherwise just a very lovely day overall. Rode my bike this afternoon to do errands. (Never had thundershowers last night, BTW.)
Beech Hill List Beginning at 8:49 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Chestnut-sided Warbler** 2. Red-eyed Vireo** 3. Ovenbird** 4. Tufted Titmouse (v) 5. Song Sparrow** 6. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 7. American Goldfinch (v) 8. American Crow* 9. Black-capped Chickadee 10. Veery (v) 11. Gray Catbird** 12. Wood Thrush (v) 13. Black-and-white Warbler 14. Northern Parula 15. Eastern Towhee 16. American Redstart 17. Common Yellowthroat 18. Ruby-throated Hummingbird (v) 19. Alder Flycatcher 20. Yellow Warbler 21. Chipping Sparrow** 22. Field Sparrow 23. American Robin 24. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v) 25. Tree Swallow 26. Eastern Bluebird 27. Great Crested Flycatcher (v) 28. Turkey Vulture* 29. Savannah Sparrow 30. Eastern Wood-pewee 31. Blue-headed Vireo 32. Brown Creeper 33. Summer Tanager†‡ 34. Northern Flicker (v)
It was pretty warm already when Captain Jack and I hit the lower wooded trail this morning, earlier than the past few. Mid- to upper-60s to start (and mid- to upper-70s when we got done). So it was a bit slow for Jack, with his thick coat and all.
But we made it OK—and my list happened to end up with a bodacious number of bird species.
Three of which were firsts-of-year, none of which I saw—but their voices gave ’em away (Wood Thrush, Least Flycatcher, and Scarlet Tanager). Maybe tomorrow I’ll get a photo of one or the other.
Mid-may is a wondrous time of year for a bird nerd.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:17 a.m., I hiked all trails.
