Ovenbird.
Another sunny, cool early morning hike all over Beech Hill today. One difference: things were dewy this early a.m.—which might or might not have had to do with the appearance of a few first-of-year species for a change.
Chipping sparrow.
First, just after Jack and I turned the first curve of the wooded trail, I heard the voice of an ovenbird. First ovenbird of the season for me. And, in fact, we tracked it down, and I got a photo and a video. It was nice to hear the familiar loud voice of the little bird, although I’m liable to get just a little tired of it as we move into summer. (Or maybe not—after all, it’s my cell phone ring tone.)
As I was taking a movie of the ovenbird, I heard the faint notes of a rose-breasted grosbeak coming from high in the trees where they’ve been hanging out every year for the past three or four or five. Another first-of-year bird. About half-way up, I heard (then saw) my first purple finch.
Up a the summit fields, at the little turn by the split-rail fence, I heard the song (and mew!) of a catbird. Another FOY species. Up near Beech Nut, I spied two barn swallows flying over.
Also happened to see a plump broad-winged hawk perched low in the little trees at the edge of the southern field, being yelled at by a robin. As we got back up near the summit, I spotted two wild turkeys in the trail ahead of us. (Too bad I couldn’t get a photo, because the sun was shining through their waddles, which glowed electric red.)
Broad-winged hawk.
My knee started bothering me, though. Not sure why—although I have been hiking up and down a hill for at least two hours every morning for a week or more. Decided to head out on my bicycle anyway, and the trip turned out to be easy and pain free. Plus, down in Clam Cove I heard m first laughing gulls of the year.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:30 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Eastern towhee**
2. Black-capped chickadee*
3. American goldfinch (v)
4. Blue jay
5. Black-throated green warbler (v)
6. American robin*
7. Common raven (v)
8. Hairy woodpecker (v)
9. Blue-headed vireo (v)
10. Ovenbird†
11. Tufted titmouse** (v)
12. American crow*
13. Black-and-white warbler
14. White-breasted nuthatch (v)
15. Rose-breasted grosbeak† (v)
16. Yellow-rumped warbler
17. Hermit thrush
18. Purple finch†
19. Northern cardinal** (v)
20. Gray catbird (v)
21. Song sparrow*
22. Eastern phoebe
23. Barn swallow†
24. Savannah sparrow
25. White-throated sparrow (v)
26. Chipping sparrow
27. Mallard
28. Mourning dove* (v)
29. Herring gull*
30. Field sparrow (v)
31. Broad-winged hawk
32. Wild turkey
33. Nashville warbler (v)
Elsewhere
35. House finch (v)
36. European starling
37. House sparrow (v)
38. Laughing gull† (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, barn swallow, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, blue-headed vireo, broad-winged hawk, chipping sparrow, common raven, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, European starling, field sparrow, gray catbird, hairy woodpecker, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, laughing gull, mallard, mourning dove, Nashville warbler, northern cardinal, ovenbird, purple finch, rose-breasted grosbeak, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch, white-thraoted sparrow, wild turkey, yellow-rumped warbler
