A morning much like yesterday’s—a bit colder (20s (F)), not quite as breezy, perhaps a bit more overcast. Not as many bird species, but quite a few more individual birds.
The species with the most numbers: yellow-rumps. Goldfinches came in a close second. Also a bunch of chickadees. Three woodpecker species, several crows—and even a departing raven. But most noteworthy would be the bluebirds.
A little gang at the summit, perching, posing. Even a single individual way down by the wooded trailhead. Any day with bluebirds—even a nippy day in November—is a good ’un.
(Also notable: en route early, saw a handsome buck loping across a field.)
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:19 a.m., I hiked most trails.
Rained most of the night again last night, but an early morning lull corresponded nicely with the time of my morning hike with dog. Full sky overcast. Wet but not as wet as yesterday, windy but not as windy. And more bird species. Hard to photograph wildlife in such dim light, but I did get a half-way decent pic of a nuthatch.
Was even darker down along the wooded trail, where we surprised a white-tail. I watched it bound away, tail high, and disappear.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:29 a.m., I hiked all trails (and then some).
1. American Crow* 2. Black-capped Chickadee** 3. American Goldfinch (v) 4. Red-breasted Nuthatch 5. Northern Flicker 6. Herring Gull* 7. American Robin (v) 8. Yellow-rumped Warbler (v) 9. Blue Jay (v) 10. White-breasted Nuthatch
Well, wasn’t this morning’s a fun birding excursion. Dog and I hit the trail kind of early—same time as yesterday, pretty much—but things seemed awfully quiet to start. Then, as we approached the edge between woodlands and open fields, all heaven broke loose.
Heard (and saw) Red-bellied Woodpeckers. Flushed a couple of turkeys. Then at the little summit spruce grove, where a fly hatch was going on, a couple unexpected species showed up. Most notably, a little group of orioles (first of year). But also a solitary Least Flycatcher, which must’ve been having a field day up there.
Also, at one point, I heard a Killdeer fly overhead. Random.
Random, but really cool.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:14 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. American Goldfinch** 2. American Crow* 3. Red-eyed Vireo** 4. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 5. Pileated Woodpecker (v) 6. Mourning Dove* (v) 7. Eastern Wood-pewee 8. Black-capped Chickadee** 9. Hermit Thrush (v) 10. Blue Jay (v) 11. Tufted Titmouse 12 White-breasted Nuthatch** 13. Red-bellied Woodpecker 14. Northern Flicker (v) 15. Wild Turkey 16. Eastern Towhee 17. Alder Flycatcher 18. Common Yellowthroat 19. Gray Catbird 20. Cedar Waxwing 21. Song Sparrow 22. Yellow Warbler (v) 23. American Robin 24. Rose-breasted Grosbeak 25. Baltimore Oriole† 26. Field Sparrow (v) 27. Eastern Phoebe 28. Least Flycatcher 29. Black-and-white Warbler 30. Eastern Bluebird 31. Savanna Sparrow (v) 32. Downy Woodpecker 33. Killdeer (v) 24. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 35. Northern Cardinal (v) 36. Hairy Woodpecker
Elsewhere
37. Herring Gull 38. Chipping Sparrow (v)
Mammals
White-tailed Deer (v)
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
