Last night’s soaking rain sure enough cooled things down a lot and got rid of the recent humidity. Jack had a much easier time of this morning’s hike—as, I suppose, did I.
But there were fewer flying insects. Perhaps that’s why things were so quiet, bird-wise. Fewer species on my list than in many weeks. But a couple of noteworthy ones: Wood Thrush, Herring Gull, Barn Swallow.
Also, in a chance meeting, I had a nice long chat with three long-time friends I hadn’t seen (or talked to) in a while. Kind of the day’s highlight.
Unless, of course, you count the handsome Eastern Coyote that showed up in the yard this early morning.
Beech Hill List Starting at 6:56 a.m. EST (7:56 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo (v) 2. Black-throated Green Warbler (v) 3. American Goldfinch** 4. Wood Thrush (v) 5. Eastern Towhee 6. Tufted Titmouse (v) 7. Cedar Waxwing 8. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 9. Black-capped Chickadee** 10. American Crow* 11. Gray Catbird 12. Yellow Warbler (v) 13. Herring Gull* 14. Song Sparrow* 15. Barn Swallow 16. American Robin* 17. Blue Jay (v) 18. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 19. Common Yellowthroat (v)
Elsewhere
20. Mourning Dove 21. Osprey 22. House Sparrow 23. Ruby-throated Hummingbird 24. Laughing Gull 25. Rock Dove
Mammals
Eastern Coyote
Reptiles
Garter Snake
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
Within seconds after dog and I started up the wooded trail this morning, my world shifted. Up ahead of us I saw that the big mama maple tree near the trailhead, likely progenitor of the many other maples in the sugarbush there, had fallen across the trail. A huge tree she was, and handsome enough that I’ve taken dozens (scores?) of photos of her over the years, and there before us lay her fat trunk and thick leafy branches—some of them broken, some nearby trees scraped from nearby trees… What a surprise, what a shock, what a sound she must’ve made at the end.
Somehow, we wiggled through the obstacles and continued on a hike that was very different from usual—and will surely be a memorable one.
Birds were good—two vocal, chasing ravens among them—but they were not the most notable part of this day.
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:09 a.m. EST (8:09 DST), I hiked all trails.
1. Red-eyed Vireo** (v) 2. American Goldfinch 3. Ovenbird** (v) 4. Wood Thrush (v) 5. Veery (v) 6. Blue Jay (v) 7. Pileated Woodpecker (v) 8. Eastern Wood-pewee (v) 9. Black-capped Chickadee** 10. Common Raven 11. Osprey (v) 12. Brown Creeper (v) 13. White-breasted Nuthatch (v) 14. Gray Catbird 15. Eastern Towhee 16. American Crow* (v) 17. Hermit Thrush (v) 18. Chestnut-sided Warbler 19. Alder Flycatcher (v) 20. Song Sparrow** 21. Ruby-throated Hummingbird 22. Common Yellowthroat 23. Field Sparrow (v) 24. Yellow Warbler (v) 25. American Robin (v) 26. Northern Flicker 27. Black-throated Green Warbler** (v) 28. Tufted Titmouse (v) 29. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (v) 30. Eastern Bluebird (v) 31. Cedar Waxwing (v) 32. Eastern Phoebe 33. Black-and-white Warbler**
Elsewhere
34. Mallard 35. Mourning Dove 36. Herring Gull 37. House Finch 38. Swamp Sparrow† (v) 39. Red-winged Blackbird (v)
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
The prognosticators were right: fog this morning. Not real warm, but warm enough to feel the impressive humidity of the air. And the birds—many more birds than just a couple months ago—didn’t seem to mind.
Many more birds because of reproduction, of course. And still the mission of keeping all those fledglings safe and healthy is in the misty air.
I often wonder just how many more birds are fluttering around at this time of year than there were at, say, the beginning of May. Twice as many? Three times as many? More?
Beech Hill List Starting at 7:49 a.m. EST (8:49 DST), I hiked all trails.
