Crow vs Raven.
Savannah Sparrow.
Wet again this morning. I had a couple hours of Monday morning work to do, so Jack and I didn’t make it to the hill until 10:30—so late, I felt kind of guilty. Overcast and dark headed up through the woods. Birds were about, if secretive and none-too-vocal. I kept missing photo opportunities, though—the most frustrating being the colorful yellow-rump that kept bouncing around in the tangles of a bush not eight feet from me.
I can report the apparent arrival overnight of a whole bunch of gray catbirds. Catbirds and towhees were especially vocal.
And, curiously, at the summit, stuff started happening. First, breaks began to appear in the clouds. Then I heard the croaks of a raven—and managed to grab a short video of a typical episode of Crow vs Raven.
Gray Catbird.
After a while, the sun actually emerged for a time—and I heard the first Rose-breasted Grosbeak of the season singing down by Beech Hill Road.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 10:30 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Blue-headed Vireo (v)
2. Eastern Phoebe*
3. Tufted Titmouse** (v)
4. American Goldfinch**
5. Eastern Towhee
6. Gray Catbird*
7. Common Yellowthroat (v)
8. Northern Parula (v)
9. Black-capped Chickadee*
10. White-throated Sparrow
11. Northern Cardinal (v)
12. Song Sparrow
13. Herring Gull*
14. American Robin* (v)
15. Yellow-rumped Warbler
16. Mourning Dove** (v)
17. American Crow*
18. Purple Finch (v)
19. Common Raven
20. Northern Flicker (v)
21. Tree Swallow
22. Savannah Sparrow
23. American Kestrel
24. Broad-winged Hawk
25. Red-tailed Hawk
26. Chipping Sparrow* (v)
27. Rose-breasted Grosbeak† (v)
28. Black-and-white Warbler (v)
29. White-breasted Nuthatch (v)
30. Black-throated Green Warbler (v)
Elsewhere
31. Wild Turkey
32. Rock Pigeon
33. Mallard
34. Turkey Vulture
35. House Finch
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American kestrel, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, blue-headed vireo, broad-winged hawk, chipping sparrow, common raven, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, gray catbird, herring gull, house finch, mallard, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern flicker, northern parula, purple finch, red-tailed hawk, rock pigeon, rose-breasted grosbeak, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tree swallow, tufted titmouse, turkey vulture, white-breasted nuthatch, white-throated sparrow, wild turkey, yellow-rumped warbler
