American robin.
Here on the 44th parallel, May begins on perhaps the brightest day of the year and ends in deepest shade. Even early this cloudless morning, as Jack and I stepped onto the wooded Beech Hill trail, the world darkened, the sun’s angular light muffled by new, thick foliage low and high. The woodland birds were relatively quiet—perhaps half as vocal as they were just a week ago. They’ve got other things than singing on their mind.
Brown-headed cowbirds.
The mosquitos were active, though. And you could catch glimpses of flitting warblers and thrushes, chickadees and vireos. The calls of ovenbirds were perhaps most apparent still, echoing through the trees. Or maybe red-eyed vireos—they will continue to sing into summer. Yellowthroats and chestnut-sided warblers piped up intermittently. I heard a drumming woodpecker, a crow in the distance, waxwings and a goldfinch overhead. About half-way up the shady trail, I caught glimpses of the open fields and the voices of an alder flycatcher and a song sparrow.
The flycatchers, having arrived more recently, are still laying claim to nesting spots. I found two of their likely nesting areas and spotted another couple of apparently new arrivals. Didn’t hear a yellow warbler until we’d nearly reached the summit.
Then over the hill and into the light. A field sparrow was singing from the birches beside the open trail, and I watched a turkey vulture wing low over the barrens. Four cowbirds sat at the tip of a spruce along Beech Hill Road. I thought I heard the partial call of a Tennessee warbler across the road, but I dare not list the species based on several repeated partial calls. A rose-breasted grosbeak was singing from somewhere down there, and as we turned back up the hill, I spotted a broad-winged hawk sailing just above the treetops.
Alder flycatcher.
Before we dove back into the shade, I heard a tufted titmouse and a great crested flycatcher and watched a singing alder fly. And in the cool shade again, beyond the buzzing of mosquitos, I heard the lonesome, poignant call of a wood-pewee. A perfect sound for a morning like this. I think I’d like the pewee’s call as my ringtone.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7:15 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Ovenbird* (v)
2. Red-eyed vireo*
3. American robin*
4. Common yellowthroat*
5. Chestnut-sided warbler
6. American crow*
7. American goldfinch (v)
8. Veery (v)
9. Downy woodpecker (v)
10. Black-capped chickadee (v)
11. Mourning dove* (v)
12. American redstart*
13. Eastern towhee
14. Alder flycatcher
15. Black-and-white warbler (v)
16. Song sparrow*
17. Gray catbird (v)
18. Blue jay (v)
19. Cedar waxwing* (v)
20. Yellow warbler
21. Eastern phoebe
22. Field sparrow
23. Turkey vulture
24. Rose-breasted grosbeak (v)
25. Black-throated green warbler* (v)
26. Brown-headed cowbird
27. Broad-winged hawk
28. Tufted titmouse (v)
29. Great crested flycatcher (v)
30. Eastern wood-pewee (v)
Elsewhere
31. House finch (v)
32. Herring gull
33. Laughing gull (v)
34. European starling
35. Rock pigeon
36. House sparrow (v)
37. Red-winged blackbird (v)
38. Chipping sparrow (v)
39. Canada goose
40. Northern cardinal (v)
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, broad-winged hawk, brown-headed cowbird, Canada goose, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat, downy woodpecker, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, European starling, field sparrow, gray catbird, great crested flycatcher, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, laughing gull, mourning dove, northern cardinal, ovenbird, red-eyed vireo, red-winged blackbird, rock pigeon, rose-breasted grosbeak, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, turkey vulture, veery, yellow warbler
