Chestnut-sided warbler courtship.
Well, the heat moved in. Very early, as Jack and I started up the wooded Beech Hill trail, it was already warm—70s (F), I bet. Not as many mosquitos as yesterday, but still many. Not as much mud, but mud. Not so many cuckoos, but I did actually catch sight of one today.
Yellow warbler courtship.
I also caught sight of a couple pair of courting warblers, both in the brushy field edge just below the summit. First a noisy pair of chestnut-sided warblers—well, the male was the noisy one—and then a pair of yellow warblers. Also heard a booming grouse very near. Also chasing ovenbirds. Singing cuckoos, of course. Nesting phoebes and robins. And another tanager calling down in the lower woodlands.
The heat rose. A pair of ospreys flew over.
This late-afternoon, I rode my bicycle around for a while, working up a good sweat. Just before the Route 1 turn toward Rockport Village, I heard insistent staccato cries and looked up to see a sharp-shinned hawk sort of gliding along above the trees. The temperature must’ve peaked at about 90 or so. Right now, tonight, it’s still pretty darn warm.
What a crazy, crazy May it’s been.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:45 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Ovenbird
2. Red-eyed vireo**
3. Black-throated green warbler** (v)
4. Chestnut-sided warbler**
5. American robin*
6. Veery**
7. American goldfinch** (v)
8. Common yellowthroat**
9. Gray catbird**
10. Eastern towhee
11. American redstart**
12. Black-capped chickadee** (v)
13. Ruffed grouse (booming)
14. Yellow warbler**
15. Mourning dove (v)
16. Alder flycatcher
17. Black-and-white warbler (v)
18. Eastern wood-pewee
19. Tufted titmouse** (v)
20. American crow*
21. Song sparrow**
22. Black-billed cuckoo
23. Chipping sparrow
24. Eastern phoebe**
25. Savannah sparrow
26. Blue jay
27. Field sparrow
28. Rose-breasted grosbeak (v)
29. Nashville warbler (v)
30. Purple finch (v)
31. Common raven
32. Osprey**
33. Hermit thrush (v)
34. Scarlet tanager (v)
Elsewhere
35. Herring gull
36. European starling
37. Laughing gull (v)
38. Rock pigeon
39. Common grackle
40. Sharp-shinned hawk
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
