Somewhere around 7:28 a.m. today, the moment of the 2010 summer solstice, Jack and I were climbing the upper wooded Beech Hill trail, likely getting close to the summit. Hours before, the day had dawned clear and bright and dewy. Not too warm this morning.

The summer solstice, the longest day. I can’t help but think how, now, the days begin to shorten again—and this trend will continue deep into December. But because of the lag-time caused by heat and wind and the fluid atmosphere of our miraculous tilted planet, the warmest days of this year are yet to come. Not to say today wasn’t warm enough. It got up to 80 degrees (F), at least, I bet.

But this morning was cool, still, pleasant. Plenty of birds on the hill. And each day is different up there somehow.

For instance, this day—this longest day—held more than the usual number of wood-warblers. I heard a northern parula right away (for the first time in weeks, I think); I heard redstart and Nashville warbler, both making their presence known again; I heard black-and-white warblers in several shady hardwood groves; and I heard both black-throated blue and green on the lower wooded trail. Add those to the usual ovenbirds, yellowthroats, chestnut-sideds, and yellow warblers, and you get ten warbler species. A first since May, for sure.

Also very soon after beginning our hike, in a grove of shady poplars near a stream, I heard the sweet song of a rose-breasted grosbeak—then saw it in the canopy. I snapped off a few dim photos, and when I returned home and downloaded the images, I noticed both male and female in the picture—and the male had what looked like a section of leaf in its bill. Some peculiar courtship display?

At the summit, I heard the soft beep-beep of a nuthatch—which, ordinarily, I would say is a white-breasted. But this bird’s voice sounded somewhat higher-pitched, and it was calling from the trunk of a spruce. I tried for photos of the nuthatch, too, managing only partial images that nonetheless confirmed it as a red-breasted.

(I also heard white-breasted today down at the Beech Hill Road parking area.)

The usual five sparrow species (song, savannah, field, chipping, white-throated). The usual three thrushes (robin, hermit, veery). And at that very nesty spot on the eastern slope, I stopped only briefly today—not wanting to put too much stress on the families that’ve been posing for me these past couple days—and snapped a shot of a female yellowthroat.

Finally, on returning up the open trail to the summit, I tried for a photo of the tree swallows that fly there. Swallows in flight are the most difficult photographic subjects, in my experience—which of course makes me even more determined to capture one. Today I focused on the tips of tall grass where the swallows were skimming the yard. As they circled by, I snapped off a bunch of shots; they circled again, I released the shutter again….

On returning home: nothing but the tips of tall grass.

But you know what? That’s OK. In fact, a photo of tall grass seems to typify this loverly first morning  of summer.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 7 a.m., I walked all trails.

1. Eastern phoebe (voice)
2. Red-eyed vireo
3. Ovenbird (voice)
4. Chestnut-sided warbler
5. Northern parula (voice)
6. Common yellowthroat
7. American robin
8. Cedar waxwing
9. Veery (voice)
10. Black-capped chickadee
11. American redstart (voice)
12. Rose-breasted grosbeak
13. Gray catbird
14. Eastern towhee
15. Alder flycatcher (voice)
16. Yellow warbler (voice)
17. Black-and-white warbler (voice)
18. Mourning dove
19. Song sparrow
20. Blue jay (voice)
21. Tree swallow
22. Field sparrow
23. Red-breasted nuthatch
24. Savannah sparrow
25. House finch
26. Northern flicker
27. Chipping sparrow (voice)
28. Tufted titmouse (voice)
29. White-throated sparrow (voice)
30. White-breasted nuthatch (voice)
31. Hermit thrush (voice)
32. Nashville warbler (voice)
33. Black-throated green warbler (voice)
34. Black-throated blue warbler (voice)
35. American crow (voice)

Elsewhere

36. House finch
37. House sparrow
38. Herring gull
39. Laughing gull
40. Rock pigeon

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, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, field sparrow, gray catbird, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, laughing gull, mourning dove, Nashville warbler, northern flicker, northern parula, ovenbird, purple finch, red-breasted nuthatch, red-eyed vireo, rock pigeon, rose-breasted grosbeak, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tree swallow, tufted titmouse, veery, white-breasted nuthatch, white-throated sparrow, yellow warbler

This entry was posted on Monday, June 21st, 2010 at 6:41 pm and is filed under Lists, Observations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.