Field.
A summer day. Early morning. Cooler than yesterday, but still a bit humid. Deer flies swarm the side-view mirror of my pickup as we back into our customary parking space at Beech Hill.
Eastern towhee.
Up the trail swiftly, driven by the deer flies, serenaded by the customary chorus: ovenbird, vireo, chestnut-sided yellowthroat. Shy, fairy-like, rusty-colored veeries accompany our ascent along the upper wooded trail. Invisible. Just out of sight.
Out of sight, in fact, were the first dozen bird species I counted today: hiding out, feeding young, playing the decoy, flitting among the thick summer greenery. The first bird I actually saw was a common yellowthroat hopping around in the understory at the top of the wooded trails. Then a little group of chickadees showed themselves. And a towhee.
The morning held an early overcast and a soothing breeze from the northwest. I’d worn a short-sleeved shirt for the second straight day and managed to remain impervious to insects. There were plenty of those—insects. Deer flies, mosquitoes, moths in the woods, butterflies along the open trail, bumblebees getting Jack’s attention, crickets calling in the thickets, dragonflies zipping above the grass.
Black-capped chickadee.
I just missed a great photo of yellow warbler, and other birds remained just out of sight.
On our return trip we walked with a Coastal Mountains Land Trust board member, who had arrived for an early hike. It was nice talking with another steward of this place.
Coming back down the lower wooded trail I heard the usual hermit thrushes and somehow managed to resist the urge to follow their calls. Also the buzzing of a black-throated blue.
Later in the day came three successive rain showers. Hard rains, preventing me from embarking on my customary bicycle ride. I sort of resented it and sort of didn’t. The rains, after all, took the temperature down a notch. And our tilted planet does like a little water every now and then.
Savannah sparrows.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:45 a.m., I walked all trails.
1. Ovenbird
2. Red-eyed vireo (voice)
3. Chestnut-sided warbler
4. Common yellowthroat
5. Veery
6. American goldfinch
7. Black-capped chickadee
8. Eastern towhee
9. Gray catbird
10. American robin (voice)
11. Northern flicker (voice)
12. Yellow warbler
13. Cedar waxwing
14. Mourning dove
15. Field sparrow (voice)
16. Savannah sparrow
17. White-throated sparrow (voice)
18. Chipping sparrow (voice)
19. Blue jay (voice)
20. Song sparrow
21. American redstart (voice)
22. Hermit thrush (voice)
23. Black-throated green warbler (voice)
24. American crow (voice)
25. Rose-breasted grosbeak (voice)
26. Tufted titmouse (voice)
27. Herring gull
28. Eastern wood-pewee (voice)
29. Black-throated blue warbler (voice)
30. Hairy woodpecker (voice)
Elsewhere
31. House sparrow
Islands.
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, American robin, black-capped chickadee, black-throated blue warbler, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, chipping sparrow, common yellowthroat, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, field sparrow, gray catbird, hairy woodpecker, hermit thrush, herring gull, mourning dove, northern flicker, ovenbird, red-eyed vireo, rose-breasted grosbeak, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, veery, white-throated sparrow, yellow warbler
