Striptease.
Some sun at first, but then the clouds moved over. Barely above freezing, damp, windy, raw.
Jack and I hiked all the Beech Hill trails about midday—the wooded ones were slushy and slippery, the carriage trail was muddy and slippery. Despite the weather (it snowed fat, wet flakes in afternoon), you can tell spring is here. At least you can if you’re familiar with life on the 44th parallel. Robins, anxious gulls, chirruping house sparrows, rapid-flying ducks, that chickadee singing its fee-bee! mating call first thing.
A friend in Appleton heard his first woodcock this evening. (I’ve had my ear out.) The weather folks are warning of a potentially huge wintry storm this coming midweek.
Damp. Brisk. Nervous. Raw. Alive.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 11:45 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Herring Gull*
2. American Crow* (v)
3. Black-Capped Chickadee* (v)
4. White-Breasted Nuthatch*
5. Downy Woodpecker*
6. American Robin* (v)
Elsewhere
7. House Sparrow (v)
8. Mallard
9. Ring-Billed Gull
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
Tags: American crow, American robin, black-capped chickadee, downy woodpecker, herring gull, house sparrow, mallard, ring-billed gull, white-breasted nuthatch
