Rain this morning—pretty steady rain, a big patch of it. I worked at my desk until mid-afternoon, when the rain let up and I drove with Jack to do some errands, then hike. A single car in the parking lot (kind of surprising), although another drove up right away. A young, low-soaring red-tailed hawk greeted us as we started up the trail. (So did the resident housecat. Gr.)
Quite a few birds, but no big migratory wave or anything. Decided to hike all trails, but the woods were really quiet, with only a pewee, a towhee, and some chickadees to show for it. I cleared from the trails a bunch of fallen limbs and a single fallen tree—debris from recent thundershowers.
Met a few more hikers before we returned. Heard a flicker. Didn’t get rained on, but more rain did arrive earlier tonight. I wonder if you can hear nocturnal migrants out there right now.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 3 p.m., I hiked all trails.
1. American crow*
2. Mourning dove
3. Blue jay** (v)
4. Black-capped chickadee**
5. Downy woodpecker (v)
6. Red-tailed hawk
7. Cedar waxwing
8. Eastern towhee
9. White-throated sparrow (v)
10. Song sparrow
11. American goldfinch (v)
12. Savannah sparrow
13. Common yellowthroat (v)
14. Yellow-rumped warbler
15. Eastern wood-pewee (v)
16. Northern flicker (v)
Elsewhere
17. Herring gull
18. European starling
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, Cedar waxwing, common yellowthroat, downy woodpecker, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, European starling, herring gull, mourning dove, northern flicker, red-tailed hawk, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, white-throated sparrow, yellow-rumped warbler


