The weather hasn’t been friendly for spring migration—winds from the north and northwest, rain and chill unconducive to flies and insects, etc. But today the sun emerged for the first time in a good while, and a few birds managed to begin moving through our hiking patch, dog and me.

Notable on this sunny morn was a first-of-year Ovenbird (ID’d only after I’d listened to my GoPro footage) and first-blooming Trout Lilies.

The winds won’t be overly friendly for the next few (several?) days, but it won’t be long before a rush of new migrants arrive. I’ll be leading a bird walk at Beech Hill in a few days, and my hope is things will be hoppin’ by then. We shall see.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:28 a.m. real time (7:28 DST), I hiked all trails.

1. Tufted Titmouse (v)
2. Purple Finch** (v)
3. Ovenbird† (v)
4. American Robin**
5.Winter Wren (v)
6. Hermit Thrush (v)
7. Blue-headed Vireo (v)
8. Herring Gull*
9. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (v)
10. Eastern Towhee
11. American Crow*
12. American Goldfinch
13. Black-capped Chickadee** (v)
14. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
15. Black-and-white Warbler
16. Ruffed Grouse
17. Hairy Woodpecker
18. Eastern Phoebe*
19. Brown Creeper
20. Wild Turkey (v)
21. Yellow-rumped Warbler
22. Chipping Sparrow (v)
23. Turkey Vulture*
24. Song Sparrow** (v)
25. Field Sparrow (v)
26. Northern Cardinal** (v)
27. Blue Jay (v)
28. Downy Woodpecker
29. Eastern Bluebird
30. Savannah Sparrow (v)
31. Brown-headed Cowbird (v)
32. Gray Catbird (v)

Elsewhere

33. Pine Warbler (v)
34. Black-throated Green Warbler (v)

(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year