Eastern phoebe.
Cold today. Overcast. Drizzled some. Then came sleet—or ice pellets or graupel, or whatever it is. (What the natives call “hail.”) Then more rain, then very large snowflakes. Not a whole lot of wind, though, so Jack and I hiked the muddy Beech Hill track in relative comfort. Expected few birds. Heard a chickadee, then saw a trailside phoebe. On our return (much to our astonishment, actually), we met a fellow hiker we know and his dog, Happy. Then, approaching the parking lot, I heard and/or saw another six species of bird.
Which reminds me of yesterday afternoon’s Beech Hill hike with our friends Liz and Daniel. It was a sunny—if breezy and chilly—day, but we saw fewer birds. Still, Daniel had kestrels on his mind and was hoping we might see one. We discussed the species a little, the size of it compared to a harrier. By the time we reached the summit, our list had only chickadee, crow, and vulture. Just as Daniel brought up kestrels again, Liz saw a bird down the western slope. Well, guess what? Daniel had conjured up a kestrel, hovering over the barren.
Tonight I hear the rush of car tires on the wet pavement of Route 1.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 4:15 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Black-capped chickadee**
2. Eastern phoebe
3. Dark-eyed junco (v)
4. Song sparrow
5. American robin (v)
6. White-breasted nuthatch
7. Northern cardinal (v)
8. Tufted titmouse (v)
Elsewhere
9. American crow
10. Herring gull
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American crow, American robin, black-capped chickadee, dark-eyed junco, eastern phoebe, herring gull, northern cardinal, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch
