Savannah sparrow.
Another lovely, warm, sunny, muggy day. The wooded Beech Hill Preserve trails—which Jack and I hiked early—were humming with deer flies and skeeters and other buzzing things. Speaking of buzzing things—I heard both black-throated green and black-throated blue warblers. Also two dueling tanagers. And the particular, familiar-voiced hermit thrush (after hearing none yesterday).
Wood lily.
At the summit, I chatted with a pair of fellow birders from New Jersey, which was fun. Exchanged friendly words with a few others, too, who took advantage of the hilltop breeze.
The highlight of today’s visit, though, was a black-billed cuckoo’s quick flight over the open trail—its long, sleek form crossed low in front of us, and it appeared to have a caterpillar in its beak.
This afternoon, I rode my bike eighteen miles or so. Had to change a flat tire, but that’s OK—it gave me an excuse to buy a ginger beer at Fresh Off the Farm. Then I decided to hit Megunticook Market for a Maine Beer Company brew as a reward for my long, warm ride. The checkout clerk gave me a high-five.
And on the way home, coming through Alderemere Farm, I heard a red-winged blackbird at the shores of Lily Pond.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 8 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Chestnut-sided warbler
2. Ovenbird** (v)
3. Red-eyed vireo**
4. Black-throated green warbler (v)
5. Common yellowthroat**
6. Gray catbird**
7. American crow* (v)
8. Veery (v)
9. Common raven (v)
10. American goldfinch*
11. Black-and-white warbler**
12. Mourning dove* (v)
13. Eastern wood-pewee
14. Eastern towhee
15. American robin
16. Blue jay (v)
17. Black-capped chickadee (v)
18. Alder flycatcher (v)
19. Yellow warbler**
20. Red-breasted nuthatch (v)
21. Savannah sparrow
22. House finch*
23. Field sparrow (v)
24. Song sparrow**
25. Cedar waxwing
26. Chipping sparrow**
27. American redstart** (v)
28. Broad-winged hawk (v)
29. Eastern bluebird (v)
30. Black-billed cuckoo
31. Scarlet tanager (v)
32. Hermit thrush (v)
33. Hairy woodpecker**
34. White-breasted nuthatch
35. Black-throated blue warbler (v)
36. Northern flicker**
Elsewhere
37. Herring gull
38. Rock pigeon
39. Red-winged blackbird (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-billed cuckoo, black-capped chickadee, black-throated blue warbler, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, broad-winged hawk, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common raven, common yellowthroat, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, field sparrow, gray catbird, hairy woodpecker, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, mourning dove, northern flicker, ovenbird, red-breasted nuthatch, red-eyed vireo, red-winged blackbird, rock pigeon, savannah sparrow, scarlet tanager, song sparrow, veery, white-breasted nuthatch, yellow warbler
