This was the day. This was the morning I’ve been waiting for. I didn’t know it until I was in the middle of it. 12 May 2010, the birdiest day so far this year.
Chestnut-sided warbler.
Seemed kind of cold still, but the sky had no clouds and there wasn’t any wind to speak of. We got to the hill at 6:30, and as I began to count birds, they came with ear-perking regularity: immediately I heard crow, ovenbird, and black-throated green warbler; another half-dozen singing species within about three minutes. A booming grouse. A warbling rose-breasted grosbeak. The clear, rhythmic whistle of a redstart—finally, my first redstart of the year.
By the time we emerged onto the edge of the field, dog and I, I’d already counted 26 species. No wind, a hint of mugginess, plenty of mosquitoes and flies. Bright, varied birdsong pierced the woodland. Where the path skirted the field, I heard a sudden flurry of warblers’ voices—chestnut-sided, black-and-white, yellowthroat, yellow. A titmouse sang suddenly from a sapling. A song sparrow flitted up into the tip of a bush, a catbird gave forth from some invisible perch, and a towhee let out its alarm note. Then I heard a tumblesome flurry of notes coming from a patch of undergrowth not ten feet away: a house wren. First I’ve heard or seen on the hill.
Common yellowthroat (female).
Within a dozen yards of me were nine, ten, eleven bird species.
I have to say that, right up to that point, the morning progressed frustratingly. I’d brought my digital recorder instead of my fieldglasses, but when I stopped to record a singing ovenbird, I discovered that the card was full, and I couldn’t remember how to delete tracks. I had to lug the useless recorder; several times I wished for the binoculars. Worse, seemingly every bird I sought to photograph flitted behind a leaf. So many birds, no good photos. I was ticked—until I heard the wren.
Thereafter, I was content simply to immerse myself in such an antic spring day. Coming around the open trail, I saw a solitary bird perched on the upper branches of a patch of exposed scrub. I recognized it at once: a kingbird. I’d never before seen a kingbird on the hill. Redstart, wren, kingbird—not a bad trifecta today.
Now if only the hummingbirds would return. And the alder flycatchers. And wood-pewees.
Returning down the lower wooded trail, dog noticed a red squirrel. I noticed the squirrel had an acorn clamped securely in its teeth. At least I got a half-way decent squirrel photo.
But never mind the lack of good bird shots. I’ll remember this birdiest day.
Red squirrel with acorn.
Beech Hill List
At 6:30 a.m., I walked all trails.
1. American crow (voice)
2. Ovenbird
3. Black-throated green warbler
4. Chestnut-sided warbler
5. Common yellowthroat
6. Blue jay (voice)
7. Herring gull (voice)
8. American robin (voice)
9. Rose-breasted grosbeak (voice)
10. Northern parula (voice)
11. Ruffed grouse (booming)
12. Black-capped chickadee
13. Northern flicker (voice)
14. Eastern towhee
15. American goldfinch
16. Common raven
17. Gray catbird
18. White-throated sparrow
19. Nashville warbler
20. American redstart*
21. Yellow warbler
22. Mourning dove
23. Tufted titmouse
24. Black-throated blue warbler (voice)
25. Song sparrow
26. Savannah sparrow
27. House wren* (voice)
28. Eastern phoebe
29. Field sparrow (voice)
30. Veery (voice)
31. Brown-headed cowbird
32. Eastern kingbird
33. Pileated woodpecker
34. Common loon (voice)
35. Chipping sparrow
36. Tree swallow
37. Blue-headed vireo (voice)
38. Black-and-white warbler
39. Hairy woodpecker
Elsewhere
39. Rock pigeon
Hazy bay.
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-throated blue warbler, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, blue-headed vireo, brown-headed cowbird, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common loon, common raven, common yellowthroat, eastern kingbird, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, field sparrow, gray catbird, hairy woodpecker, herring gull, house wren, mourning dove, Nashville warbler, northern flicker, northern parula, ovenbird, pileated woodpecker, rose-breasted grosbeak, ruffed grouse, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tree swallow, tufted titmouse, veery, white-throated sparrow, yellow warbler
