Ovenbird.
I know a bush that contains a yellow warbler nest. I caught site of the parents—both of ’em—perched in its miniature canopy as we came over a rise at Beech Hill this early morning, dog and I.
Common yellowthroat (female).
Sad to report that, despite this sweet revelation, it was not a wholly pleasant walk this morning. We didn’t mind the warmth or humidity. Ticks are on their mid-year hiatus, which is nice. Flies were out, though. Big-time. Mosquitos, deer flies, horse flies. And those little silken webby strands criss-crossed the wooded trails every twenty yards or so, it seemed—mostly at just about face level. Then, on returning down the lower wooded trail, we came upon a couple of women joggers with dogs. Unleashed dogs. I hated to be the hard ass:
“I hate to be the hard ass, but those dogs should be on leashes.”
“I know,” said the lead jogger.
I guess they disagree with the rule, or something. They did, however, leash their dogs. And likely cursed me later.
White-throated sparrow.
And finally, while driving back home, a chipmunk burst out of the roadside brush just in front of my truck. I didn’t feel any impact, but chipmunks don’t pack much punch, and in the rear-view mirror I think I did see a motionless tannish lump lying on the blacktop behind me.
The good news? I listed a surprising thirty-six bird species—including black-billed cuckoo, cardinal, titmouse, all five sparrows, all but one flycatcher (least), lots of warblers—and I got a pretty good collection of photos. Two spots in particular have proved fruitful lately: the point in the lower trail that makes a 90-degree angle at a little piece of fence; the Beech Hill Road parking lot. The former yielded yellow warbler, yellowthroat, alder flycatcher, towhee, goldfinch, chestnut-sided, and catbird; the latter yielded white-throat, hairy woodpecker, catbird, alder flycatcher, great crested fly, cardinal, titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch. I spent at least fifteen minutes in each place—and likely closer to a half hour at the parking lot.
Nice to see the ovenbirds strutting their protecting-the-nest stuff again up there.
Meantime, back home, a redstart’s been hanging around. A mature male, singing and flashing red-and-black wings and tail. I heard him out the open windows a minute ago, singing his brief, distinctive song.
The windows are open still at 8 p.m. because of the warmth of the day, still lingering in waning spring.
Cedar waxwing.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7:15 a.m., I walked all trails.
1. Ovenbird
2. Eastern towhee
3. Chestnut-sided warbler
4. Red-eyed vireo (voice)
5. Common yellowthroat
6. Northern cardinal
7. Veery (voice)
8. American robin
9. Mourning dove
10. American goldfinch
11. American crow (voice)
12. Black-and-white warbler (voice)
13. Black-capped chickadee
14. Eastern phoebe
15. Gray catbird
16. Northern flicker
17. Yellow warbler
18. Cedar waxwing
19. Alder flycatcher
20. Tree swallow
21. Savannah sparrow
22. Tufted titmouse
23. Song sparrow
24. White-throated sparrow
25. Blue jay
26. Field sparrow
27. Nashville warbler
28. Chipping sparrow
29. White-breasted nuthatch
30. Hairy woodpecker
31. American redstart
32. Great crested flycatcher
33. Hermit thrush
34. Black-billed cuckoo
35. Black-throated green warbler
36. Eastern wood-pewee
Elsewhere
37. House sparrow
38. House finch
39. Herring gull
40. Common grackle
Ovenbird, Beech Hill, Rockport, Maine, 19 June 2010.
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-billed cuckoo, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, field sparrow, gray catbird, great crested flycatcher, hairy woodpecker, hermit thrush, mourning dove, Nashville warbler, northern cardinal, northern flicker, ovenbird, red-eyed vireo, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tree swallow, tufted titmouse, veery, white-breasted nuthatch, white-throated sparrow, yellow warbler
