American woodcock.
OK, I’ll admit that I’ve reached the age that I’ve actually begun compiling a (secret, informal) sort of bucket list. Visit the five U.S. states I haven’t yet set foot in is on there, for instance. Travel to New Zealand. Stuff like that. Also take a decent, not-too-blurry photo of an American woodcock.
Little did I expect to cross that one off this morning.
Black-throated green warbler.
Rose a little late, didn’t get to Beech Hull until shortly before 7 a.m. Found plenty of sunshine, plenty of arriving warblers—was even pleased to hear the wheep! of a first-of-year great crested flycatcher soon after Jack and I began our hike. Had quite a list by the time we reached the summit, if only some barely presentable photos of a couple warblers and a vireo. It wasn’t for lack of trying. I spent many minutes standing, waiting, watching, camera at the ready. Oh, well. Lovely hike.
Then we made a quick return up to the summit and started back down through the spruce grove and instinctively I stopped. Because I’d seen a dark shape near the grassy trail. An American woodcock.
It was just sitting there. Unmoving. I snapped off some photos then moved closer. Didn’t move. Frozen. Looked to be watching us, though—i.e., it wasn’t dead. I didn’t think it was injured, either. Then I thought this must’ve been a mother hen with chicks nearby, but I didn’t bother to look for the chicks. I just closed in and took more photos (with Jack obediently and uncomplainingly staying well away). Finally, when I’d about filled up my camera card, I slowly reached out my hand toward the bird—and it let out a long string of shit while flapping madly away on whistling wings.
Yellow warbler.
We didn’t stick around for fear of jeopardizing her little brood. But it sure was nice to have recorded her funny little no-neck face and long nose (resting in the grass) and large, dark, moist eyes.
Last year, a woodcock moseyed up the trail ahead of us and perched cooperatively on a mossy stone, but I couldn’t get my camera to auto-focus on the damn bird. I figured this one would take me a while.
So, yeah. Woodcock. Photograph. Thanks, universe.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Ovenbird
2. Black-throated green warbler
3. Tufted titmouse
4. Northern parula
5. Great crested flycatcher
6. Black-capped chickadee
7. Chestnut-sided warbler
8. Eastern towhee
9. Black-and-white warbler
10. Rose-breasted grosbeak
11. Veery
12. Blue jay
13. American crow
14. Northern cardinal
15. American redstart
16. Common yellowthroat
17. Yellow warbler
18. American goldfinch
19. Mourning dove
20. Nashville warbler
21. Hairy woodpecker
22. Yellow-rumped warbler
23. Gray catbird
24. Savannah sparrow
25. Tree swallow
26. Blue-headed vireo
27. American robin
28. Eastern phoebe
29. Song sparrow
30. Field sparrow
31. Herring gull
32. Chipping sparrow
33. White-throated sparrow
34. Brown-headed cowbird
35. American woodcock
Elsewhere
36. House finch
37. European starling
38. Rock pigeon
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, American woodcock, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, blue-headed vireo, brown-headed cowbird, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, European starling, field sparrow, gray catbird, great crested flycatcher, hairy woodpecker, herring gull, house finch, mourning dove, Nashville warbler, northern cardinal, northern parula, ovenbird, rock pigeon, rose-breasted grosbeak, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tree swallow, tufted titmouse, veery, white-throated sparrow, yellow warbler, yellow-rumped warbler
