Fresh mow.
A calm, crisp, sunny day—a productive one for me. About the time I noticed the sun headed down fast and looked over and saw my dog staring back at me with that “Well?” look on his face. I knew it was time.
Sign.
I happened to spot a mourning dove flapping into the trees along Beech Hill Road as we turned into the parking lot. No other vehicles there. As soon as we hopped out, I heard the voices of crows and chickadees and something else that I didn’t recognize right away—sort of high-pitched cheeps. I followed the sound and saw five or six horned larks flapping over, headed in a westerly direction. Four species before we’d even taken a step.
Headed across the parking lot, I saw a downy woodpecker bouncing along. Heard a nuthatch and a titmouse. We turned up into the fields, most of which had been newly mown and looked as if they were caked with old blood or something. Nearing the summit, I trained my binocs over toward Chickawaukie Lake to check American coot off my species list.
Heard a flicker while headed up; heard a pileated woodpecker while headed down. Not a bad hike, all in all.
Tonight we’re supposed to get meteors. I haven’t seen one yet.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 3:15 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Mourning dove
2. American crow* (v)
3. Black-capped chickadee*
4. Horned lark
5. Downy woodpecker
6. White-breasted nuthatch (v)
7. Tufted titmouse (v)
8. Northern flicker (v)
9. American coot
10. Pileated woodpecker (v)
Elsewhere
11. Herring gull
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
