Black-Capped Chickadee.
Warm and drizzly this morning, then a little wave of plain rain moved through, and then the rain stopped. Still a little ice around, but in mid-afternoon I figured Saturday would be a good day for Jack and I to hike all the trails at Beech Hill Preserve.
Wild Turkey tracks.
We began at the Rockville Street trailhead and marched up the snowy—I should say almost slushy—upper wooded trail. The loose footing made my wood socks move around in my worn-out hiking shoes, and I thought I might end up with a blister or two, but I didn’t really care. It was nice, warmish, silent except for crows.
But a great wind raked the summit when we arrived up there. Gazing off toward the bay, I saw a lone bird flying fast, northbound. It looked interesting, and in such cases I have to decide quickly whether to grab my binoculars (better chance of an ID) or camera (possible photo), and in this case I grabbed my binocs. Kind of glad I did, because the photo might’ve been too grainy or blurry to confirm the lone bird as a peregrine falcon.
Moments later, I watched a red-tailed hawk sail off across the southern slope.
Down at the Beech Hill Road parking lot, the little birds were active: maybe a dozen chickadees, a titmouse or two, a couple of nuthatches, a calling morning dove, a singing bluebird. Coming back up and over, I heard a robin.
Nothing at all in the woods, though. Well, except for a bunch of turkey tracks. Wild turkeys seem to really appreciate the well-delineated human trails in there.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 1:15 p.m., I hiked all trails.
1. American Crow*
2. Peregrine Falcon
3. Red-Tailed Hawk
4. Black-Capped Chickadee
5. Tufted Titmouse (v)
6. White-Breasted Nuthatch
7. Mourning Dove* (v)
8. Eastern Bluebird (v)
9. American Robin*
Elsewhere
10. House Sparrow (v)
11. Herring Gull
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
Tags: American crow, American robin, black-capped chickadee, herring gull, house sparrow, mourning dove, peregrine falcon, red-tailed hawk, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch
