Eastern towhee.
Up late last night, to the hill somewhat late today: 7:15 a.m. Already you could tell it’d be a warm day.
Last night late, before hitting the sack, I stepped outside with Jack into a world of fog. Despite this morning’s bright sun, in the understory of the wooded trail droplets of water fell intermittently, surprisingly, and the grass and leaves were damp with dew.
Chestnut-sided warbler (female, in afterglow).
The usual warblers were singing—ovenbird, yellowthroat, chestnut-sided, redstart—as well as a couple red-eyed vireos, ever-present on the hill this time of year. I thought I caught the sound of an unfamiliar, high, sibilent warbler, but I couldn’t pick it out of the chorus. Ascending the upper wooded trail, I heard the faint sound of pixies in the undergrowth on either side of me. Some trick of woodland acoustics.
Coming around a curve in the trail, I spotted a flurry of activity in a bush directly in front of us. Right away I recognized a pair of mating of chestnut-sided warblers. The male flew away, the female stayed behind. I got a voyeur’s photo.
Catbird, titmouse, robin. The usual species, an unusual heat. A crow’s voice followed by a raven’s.
Field sparrow.
Once a resident species arrives, it sticks around—rose-breasted grosbeak, alder fly, great crested fly on the open trail, tanager and pewee in the deeper woods. But on our initial climb, upon emerging into the first grassy expanse, I saw a zip, a blur, a fast-flying tiny bird whipping over and just behind us. First-of-year hummingbird. It was somewhat of a relief.
I had another, quite similar hummingbird sighting coming down the main open trail. About the same time, I heard a laughing gull (my first on the hill) and saw a solitary herring gull fly over. The field sparrow continues to sing in its lone hardwood on the downslope. In the distant photo I took, it was eyeing me.
Returning by way of the lower wooded trail, I heard the hoarse voice of a tanager directly overhead. Got a crappy photo or two. Not long after, I heard the black-throated blue with the aberrant call. And a parula. And, oddly, our first black-throated green.
A random thought, perhaps, but at some point this year, I’d like to get a nice photo of a redstart.
This coming weekend—Memorial Day weekend—I’m headed to Monhegan for a couple days. I’m getting excited about the trip, a first in spring for me. I’m told I’ll see many birds. And thanks to my friend Mark, who lives on a many-acred farm, I’ve got a nice spot for Jack to stay while I’m away. Still, I’m gonna miss this guy.
Scarlet tanager.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7:15 a.m., I walked all trails.
1. Ovenbird (voice)
2. Common yellowthroat
3. Red-eyed vireo
4. Black-and-white warbler (voice)
5. Chestnut-sided warbler
6. Herring gull
7. Eastern towhee
8. Gray catbird
9. Tufted titmouse (voice)
10. American robin
11. American redstart (voice)
12. American crow (voice)
13. Common raven (voice)
14. Rose-breasted grosbeak (voice)
15. Alder flycatcher (voice)
16. Veery (voice)
17. Black-capped chickadee
18. White-throated sparrow (voice)
19. Nashville warbler
20. Field sparrow
21. Ruby-throated hummingbird
22. Eastern phoebe
23. Tree swallow (voice)
24. Laughing gull (voice)
25. Great crested flycatcher (voice)
26. Blue jay (voice)
27. Chipping sparrow (voice)
28. Pileated woodpecker (voice)
29. Yellow warbler (voice)
30. White-breasted nuthatch (voice)
31. Northern parula (voice)
32. Scarlet tanager
33. Black-throated blue warbler (voice)
34. Black-throated green warbler (voice)
Elsewhere
35. House sparrow
36. European starling
37. Osprey
38. Rock pigeon
Fog offshore.
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-capped chickadee, black-throated blue warbler, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common raven, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, European starling, field sparrow, gray catbird, great crested flycatcher, herring gull, house sparrow, laughing gull, Nashville warbler, northern parula, osprey, ovenbird, pileated woodpecker, red-eyed vireo, rock pigeon, rose-breasted grosbeak, ruby-throated hummingbird, scarlet tanager, tree swallow, tufted titmouse, veery, white-breated nuthatch, white-throated sparrow, yellow warbler
