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
Rained a bit more overnight, but only fog dimmed the rising dawn. Wetness all about (which I appreciate), and a few birds along the roadsides.
Hiked the hill with my old pal Scott, engaged in conversation. Still spied quite a few birds, despite the fog and dimness. Sparrows, mostly, but also a kinglet, nuthatches, and a random gull flyby. Still yellow-rumps about, too. A mere thirty or so this morning.
Supposed to rain tomorrow. We shall see.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 9:01 a.m., I hiked all trails.
Rain overnight continued into early morning, but dog and I were not to be denied. The weather radar showed a break about mid-morning, so we headed up to what turned out to be a damp and misty hill.
Still a lot of fun, though. Plenty of smells for Jack to enjoy, and I listed a dozen bird species—many of them sparrows. Juncos, white-crowneds, songs, swamps, white-throats. Yellow-rumps, of course, and a flicker, and a cardinal and kinglet down by the road.
We got pretty good and wet, but that’s all part of the fun. Especially since I managed to keep my camera dry.
More rain tonight, but it should ease up in the morning, when we’ll be joined in our fun by a friend.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 9:50 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Golden-crowned Kinglet (v) 2. American Crow* 3. Northern Cardinal** 4. Song Sparrow 5. Dark-eyed Junco 6. White-crowned Sparrow 7. Yellow-rumped Warbler 8. White-throated Sparrow (v) 9. Blue Jay (v) 10. Northern Flicker 11. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 12. Swamp Sparrow
Mammals
Eastern Chipmunk Eastern Gray Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
