White-throated sparrow.
Another foggy morning, another wave of warblers. On the one hand, I love the miracle of migration—and, to me, it really is a miracle—but on the other hand, the photographer in me would’ve liked a little more light than what Jack and I encountered when we arrived at Beech Hill.
Yellow-rumped warbler.
But then I heard a yellowthroat and thought, A yellowthroat would look really good against a foggy green landscape, what with that yellowthroat and all. But the yellowthroat would not cooperate. Then, soon after, I heard a yellow warbler, whose extreme yellowness would really look good against the fog—and sure enough, one hopped up onto a little branch not a dozen feet away! But I missed the shot, and it hopped away. Disappointing.
But then, down at the Beech Hill Road parking lot, a mini-fallout was going on in the trees. Black-and-whites, redstarts, parulas, black-throated blues, black-throated greens, even a (first-of-year) blackpoll. I thought a black-throated green or redstart would look especially good in the low-light conditions—and as Jack and I stood there still under the trees, a bright red-and-black male redstart landed on a conifer bow not eight feet in front of me. I couldn’t raise my camera quickly enough. Disappointing.
But I then a colorful male white-throated sparrow popped up. At least I got his portrait. And also a yell0w-rump or two. And, too, there’s the knowledge that there’ll be a few more days of migration, and that some of them are bound to be sunny, and that I feel sure I’ll get a yellow or two, a few yellowthroats, and maybe even a redstart or black-throated blue.
Black-throated green warbler.
Coming down the wooded trail, first I heard its voice and then I spotted it flitting in the trees: a prairie warbler. No disappointment there.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Eastern towhee
2. Ovenbird**
3. Black-throated green warbler**
4. Northern parula
5. American robin**
6. Black-capped chickadee**
7. Veery (v)
8. American crow*
9. American goldfinch (v)
10. Rose-breasted grosbeak (v)
11. Black-and-white warbler**
12. Cedar waxwing (v)
13. Yellow warbler**
14. Mourning dove*
15. White-throated sparrow
16. Gray catbird (v)
17. Herring gull*
18. Hermit thrush (v)
19. Common yellowthroat
20. Nashville warbler (v)
21. Yellow-rumped warbler
22. Song sparrow**
23. Eastern phoebe
24. Savannah sparrow
25. Tufted titmouse** (v)
26. Northern cardinal** (v)
27. Chipping sparrow
28. Black-throated blue warbler
29. American redstart
30. Blackpoll warbler
31. Hairy woodpecker
32. Field sparrow (v)
33. Prairie warbler
Elsewhere
34. House finch (v)
35. European starling
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated blue warbler, black-throated green warbler, blackpoll warbler, Cedar waxwing, chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, European starling, field sparrow, gray catbird, hairy woodpecker, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, mourning dove, Nashville warbler, northern cardinal, northern parula, ovenbird, prairie warbler, rose-breasted grosbeak, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, veery, white-throated sparrow, yellow warbler, yellow-rumped warbler
