Spring foliage.
The sun snuck through the blinds again this morning—but this time, on first look out the window, I saw not a single cloud. And the day progressed cloudlessly. But cool. I bet the high didn’t get out of the low 50s (F).
Eastern phoebe.
Saw a crow out that same window. Heard a song sparrow from inside the house. And a tufted titmouse. Upon stepping out, I heard warblings of the local house sparrow and the dialect of the eastern phoebe. In fact, there were two phoebes—a nesting pair, I daresay—and the male wasn’t quite as vocal as has been typical in recent days. I also heard, then saw, a brown-headed cowbird. I have excruciatingly mixed feelings about that nest-stealing species.
We hit the Beech Hill trail at about midday with high hopes, dog and I. But our hopes were soon dashed with the sound, then sight, of a tractor mowing about half-way up the slope. It was making a lot of noise, and so I didn’t expect to see the harrier or raven or sparrow hawk. The sky, though, was achingly blue. And flying high in it was a solitary herring gull, wailing.
Up beyond the tractor, at the summit, behind the hut, I was surprised to see a kestrel sailing over toward the crowns of some hardwoods to the northeast. And then I heard the musical croak of a raven. Its voice carried well, considering I finally spotted the bird in the top of a conifer quite a distance away to the north. It called for two or three minutes anyway.
American goldfinch.
The hill’s song sparrows have gotten secretive, meantime—they flitted quietly ahead of us, low to the ground—and I wondered if there’s a nest. I also wondered when the savannah sparrows will arrive.
Returning, nearing the parking lot, I heard love-struck goldfinch giving forth effusively. Then I spotted the bird accompanied by two females. Meanwhile, a robin bounced around in the shadows, hunting worms.
Robins were bouncing around everywhere, in fact, while I was out bike riding in late afternoon. And there were roadside crows. And a single rock dove, flying.
Tonight, no woodcocks nor peepers.
Today’s List
American crow
Song sparrow
Tufted titmouse
House finch
Eastern phoebe
Brown-headed cowbird
Herring gull
American goldfinch
American kestrel
Common raven
American robin
Rock pigeon
Penobscot Bay.
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American kestrel, American robin, brown-headed cowbird, common raven, herring gull, house finch, rock pigeon, song sparrow, tufted titmouse
