Least Flycatcher.
Up really early. Not as chilly as recent days. Mostly cloudy but with a little sun poking through. Lots of birds.
White-throated Sparrow.
Mallard on the roadside pulling in. Singing vireo, warblers, thrushes, tits. Also heard sweet distinctive phrasing of a Brown Creeper. Soon heard the drumming of a partridge and flushed a woodcock. Then I got a glimpse of a (silent) Black-throated Blue Warbler—first of the year.
By the time we reached the summit, I had listed thirty species, including a cooperative Least Flycatcher that posed for photos.
More down the open trail. Lots of White-throated Sparrows. Many sparrow species, in fact. At least a couple pairs of cowbirds. A solitary harrier. Spotted a Downy Woodpecker, heard a red-belly. Most species on the hill this year so far.
Also the most in a single day generally, including—while cycling twenty miles in what turned out to be a gorgeous sun-drenched day, the first 70-degree (F) day of the year—goose, blackbird, and first-of-year Laughing Gulls in Camden (where I stopped by the friendly new Owl and Turtle book store and cafe).
Rose early, did a lot, and have stayed up kind of late. I’d call this one a pretty big day.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6 a.m, I hiked all trails.
1. Mallard*
2. Blue-headed Vireo (v)
3. Ovenbird**
4. Black-and-white Warbler**
5. Black-throated Green Warbler** (v)
6. American Robin*
7. Tufted Titmouse** (v)
8. American Goldfinch**
9. Brown Creeper (v)
10. American Crow*
11. Common Yellowthroat**
12. Veery
13. Black-capped Chickadee**
14. Eastern Towhee
15. Mourning Dove*
16. White-throated Sparrow**
17. Chestnut-sided warbler**
18. Northern Flicker (v)
19. Ruffed Grouse (booming)
20. Nashville Warbler**
21. American Woodcock
22. Black-throated Blue Warbler†
23. Brown-headed Cowbird**
24. Wood Thrush† (v)
25. Yellow-rumped Warbler
26. Tree Swallow
27. Least Flycatcher
28. Gray Catbird (v)
29. Blue Jay**
30. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
31. Song Sparrow**
32. Northern Cardinal** (v)
33. Savannah Sparrow
34. Downy Woodpecker
35. Chipping Sparrow** (v)
36. Hermit Thrush (v)
37. Eastern Phoebe
38. Northern Harrier
39. Field Sparrow
40. House Finch** (v)
41. Herring Gull*
42. Red-bellied Woodpecker (v)
Elsewhere
43. House Sparrow (v)
44. Wild Turkey
45. Osprey
46. Double-crested Cormorant
47. Rock Pigeon
48. European Starling
49. Laughing Gull† (v)
50. Canada Goose
51. Red-winged Blackbird (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, American woodcock, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated blue warbler, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, blue-headed vireo, brown creeper, brown-headed cowbird, Canada goose, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat, double-crested cormorant, downy woodpecker, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, European starling, field sparrow, gray catbird, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, laughing gull, least flycatcher, mallard, mourning dove, Nashville warbler, northern cardinal, northern flicker, northern harrier, osprey, ovenbird, red-bellied woodpecker, red-winged blackbird, rock pigeon, ruby-crowned kinglet, ruffed grouse, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tree swallow, tufted titmouse, veery, white-throated sparrow, wild turkey, wood thrush, yellow-rumped warbler
