Eastern towhee (juvenile).
This time of year, if you want very many birds on your list, you’ve got to stop and look for them. Oh, you can still hear the calls of the loudmouths: red-eyed vireos, goldfinches and waxwings in flight, roadside chipping sparrows, crows. But most of our nesting species are hiding out, keeping quiet, showing their offspring the ropes.
Northern flicker.
The weather had cooled. Bright sun and a stiff northwest wind. On an afternoon bike ride, I heard the aforementioned birds, spotted gulls and a house sparrow in town. Also saw a couple robins and heard a cardinal (another summer singer). But my Beech Hill hike with Jack was mostly quiet. Vireos, of course, and overflying goldfinches and waxwings. Crows in the distance. About half-way up, I heard the subtle peeps of an alder flycatcher—a sound I’ve gotten familiar with—and we stopped.
It typically takes a while to spot a peeping flycatcher, and after maybe a minute I spotted this one flitting amid some off-trail foliage. Then I heard wingbeats and saw a larger bird flap up into the thicket on the other side of the trail. Had to adjust my point-of-view slightly to see it: a juvenile towhee. As I photographed the towhee, I caught sight of another motion—and hear more peeping. Beyond the towhee a ways, through a window in the leaves, I noticed a small bird looking around. Realized it was one of (no doubt) a few young alder flycatchers, listening to its parents’ warnings.
Then, abruptly, another bird popped up out of nowhere. A flicker. We hadn’t moved since stopping (although Jack was nipping at deer flies) but, flickers being usually so shy (in my experience), I assume this was another young bird. It flew short for short distances, keeping to the other side of tree branches, checking us out. Somewhere I heard two faint mews of a catbird.
Hornet's nest.
Met some hikers at the summit, where the only birds I saw were waxwings and goldfinches, and the only bird I heard was a yellowthroat chipping in a bush. As we chatted, a song sparrow suddenly erupted in song. I mentioned to the hikers that I expected to hear hermit thrushes and a wood-pewee on our return trip through the lower woods, and that’s exactly what I did.
Nearing the end of the trail, I happened to notice a gigantic hornet’s nest not five feet from a trail we’ve traveled every day in, like, forever. I can tell you I’ll be checking it out tomorrow and beyond.
Tonight is cool, with fireflies.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 5:30 p.m., I hiked the wooded trails.
1. Red-eyed vireo* (v)
2. American goldfinch*
3. American crow* (v)
4. Cedar waxwing*
5. Common yellowthroat
6. Alder flycatcher
7. Northern flicker
8. Eastern towhee
9. Gray catbird (v)
10. American robin*
11. Song sparrow*
12. Hermit thrush* (v)
13. Eastern wood-pewee (v)
Elsewhere
14. Northern cardinal (v)
15. Black-capped chickadee (v)
16. Herring gull
17. House sparrow
18. Chipping sparrow (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, black-capped chickadee, Cedar waxwing, chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, gray catbird, hermit thrush, herring gull, house sparrow, northern cardinal, northern flicker, red-eyed vireo, song sparrow
