September fern.
This day had a little fog in it. Gray when it began, but not cold, and soon enough the sun emerged. Another productive day at the workshop I’m leading, with midday break for errands. A warm hike at the end of it with dog.
Jays on the hill. The voices of jays. The jays’ voices were loud enough (as jay’s voices generally will be), but otherwise, I had to make do with my (still, thankfully) good ear. The peeps of chickadees. The soft mew! of a catbird. The whine of a perched goldfinch. A distant crow. At the summit, a distant flicker. Returning through the woods, a pair of partridges burst away. Distant pewee. Faint nuthatch. And to bookend things at last, the loud, persistent croaks of a pair of ravens.
Sea clouds blew in on our way back down and remained until evening. I hear a solitary peeper out there now.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 5:30 p.m., I hiked the wooded trails.
1. Blue jay** (v)
2. Black-capped chickadee*
3. Gray catbird** (v)
4. American goldfinch** (v)
5. American crow* (v)
6. Northern flicker (v)
7. Ruffed grouse
8. Eastern wood-pewee (v)
9. White-breasted nuthatch (v)
10. Common raven (v)
Elsewhere
11. Herring gull
12. American robin
13. Rock pigeon
14. Ring-billed gull (v)
15. Red-eyed vireo (v)
16. Mourning dove
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
** Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, common raven, eastern wood-pewee, gray catbird, herring gull, mourning dove, northern flicker, red-eyed vireo, ring-billed gull, rock pigeon, ruffed grouse, white-breasted nuthatch
