Ovenbird.
We arrived at Beech Hill before 8 this morning, Jack and I, but already the air had gone steamy. Mosquitos swirled as we walked quietly up the wooded trail. At this point, we’re kind of used to mosquitos swirling.
Pileated woodpecker.
The birds were sure making themselves scarce, though. They’ve got nestlings to worry about feeding, of course, and fledglings to keep track off, and all the while predators to look out for. Must be a stressful time of year. Good thing they’re good at hiding and can fly.
Most of my sightings today involved fleeting glimpses of birds flitting off behind foliage or amid the wooded canopy. For instance, the Blackburnian warbler, which was still singing up there.
Notable was a stretch on our return where a bunch of woodpecker species all showed up simultaneously: hairy, pileated, flicker. At one point I could see all three at the same time, in the same direction. I also picked out the high-pitched pewee—as I have just about every day lately—and got scolded by another pair of ovenbirds.
The temperature this afternoon approached 90 degrees (F). Humid. Rode eighteen miles on my bicycle, though, and loved it—thanks in no small measure to evaporative cooling.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7:45 a.m., I hiked the wooded trails.
1. Red-eyed vireo**
2. Ovenbird
3. Common yellowthroat**
4. Veery
5. Black-capped chickadee** (v)
6. American goldfinch
7. Gray catbird**
8. Eastern towhee
9. Black-and-white warbler (v)
10. Chestnut-sided warbler** (v)
11. American robin**
12. Eastern wood-pewee
13. Alder flycatcher (v)
14. Yellow warbler
15. Hermit thrush (v)
16. Cedar waxwing** (v)
17. Northern flicker
18. Hairy woodpecker
19. Song sparrow** (v)
20. House finch** (v)
21. Field sparrow (v)
22. Savannah sparrow (v)
23. Eastern phoebe** (v)
24. American crow* (v)
25. Northern cardinal** (v)
26. Blackburnian warbler
27. Black-throated green warbler** (v)
28. Scarlet tanager
29. Purple finch (v)
30. Tufted titmouse** (v)
31. Mourning dove* (v)
32. American redstart** (v)
33. Pileated woodpecker
Elsewhere
34. Blue jay (v)
35. Herring gull
36. European starling
37. Chipping sparrow (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, blackburnian warbler, blue jay, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, European starling, field sparrow, gray catbird, hairy woodpecker, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern flicker, ovenbird, pileated woodpecker, purple finch, red-eyed vireo, savannah sparrow, scarlet tanager, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, veery, yellow warbler
