Rufous hummingbird (male).
Rose fairly early—early enough to end up at Beech Hill less than twelve hours after we finished last night’s hike. Warmish but still overcast, with thick fog offshore. Still, though. Hardly a stir of breeze.
White-throated sparrow.
Plenty of birds flitting about and singing. I’ve decided the the species that appear along the wooded trails tend to persist—towhee, catbird, yellowthroat—whereas the summit and open sections seem to foster more varied, unpredictable sightings. I.e., as we emerged from the woods at the top of the upper trail, Jack and I, I scanned the open areas to the left and the right, as always, and to the right, in a branch of a dead tree not 100 feet away, perched a black-billed cuckoo. Right out in the open. Awesome photo opportunity. So I raised my camera, and before I could take a photo the bird flew away.
A few moments later, I heard the yodel of a loon over toward Chickawaukie Lake.
That was one nice thing about this morning: the muggy, humid, still air seemed made to carry sound. I heard the voices of birds, the rush of car tires, the blatterings of chainsaws, the barking of dogs, the chirrups of crickets and the buzzings of cicadas. The whines of light aircraft in overflight. The twin peep-peep of a hummingbird.
Savannah sparrow.
Three times today, I heard—then saw—ruby-throated hummingbirds. At the summit, buzzing around the spruces. Coming down the open slope, browing among those pink flowers (whatever they are). And down near the Beech Hill Road parking lot, I heard the telltale pip-pip behind me. I turned to see a hummer dipping in to dine on a flower just a handful of feet away. My auto-focus wouldn’t focus on it. Over and over again I tried. No dice.
Common yellowthroat.
But at that particular moment, before me, at least a half-dozen warblers and other species were flitting about in the hardwoods lining Beech Hill Road. Chestnut-sideds (young and old), a black-throated green, black-and-white, a blue-headed vireo. Downy woodpecker. White-breasted nuthatch. A singing warbler I couldn’t identify—possibly a parula.
I must’ve stood there for twenty minutes of a half hour. I can’t think of very much more thrilling to me than a wave of warblers passing through, giving me no chance to look away. Constantly I have flitting, fluttering birds in the leaves before me challenging me to come up with an ID. Or a photo. Binoculars or camera? All is the moment. The only reality is the one right now. And then a hummingbird’s telltale pip-pip.
Speaking of hummingbirds—soon after my morning hike I drove up to a friend’s house very near Beech Hill. That’s because she had a rufous hummingbird coming to her feeder and chasing away the native ruby-throats. (I had never seen one. A “lifer” bird for me.) Rufous hummers are native to the western U.S.—common, but over on the other side of the Rockies. What this feisty vagrant male was doing here in Maine is anyone’s guess. Noteworthy, though, for sure.
(Note: friends of my friend are keeping her ID a secret. Otherwise, she’d have dozens of birders from throughout the Northeast traipsing through quiet her quiet yard.)
Eastern phoebe.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 6:45 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. White-breasted nuthatch
2. American crow
3. Black-capped chickadee
4. Red-eyed vireo (voice)
5. American goldfinch
6. Cedar waxwing
7. Gray catbird
8. Eastern towhee
9. Common yellowthroat
10. Yellow warbler (voice)
11. White-throated sparrow
12. Black-billed cuckoo
13. Alder flycatcher
14. Common loon (voice)
15. Song sparrow (voice)
16. Eastern phoebe
17. Mourning dove
18. Savannah sparrow
19. Blue jay (voice)
20. American robin (voice)
21. Northern cardinal (voice)
22. Ruby-throated hummingbird
23. Field sparrow
24. Tufted titmouse (voice)
25. Chestnut-sided warbler
26. Downy woodpecker
27. Black-throated green warbler
28. Blue-headed vireo
29. Black-and-white warbler
30. Purple finch
31. Eastern wood-pewee (voice)
Elsewhere
32. Herring gull
33. Rufous hummingbird
34. Ring-billed gull
35. House sparrow
Savannah sparrow.
Tags: alder flycatcher, American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, black-and-white warbler, black-billed cuckoo, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, blue jay, blue-headed vireo, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, common loon, common yellowthroat, downy woodpecker, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, field sparrow, gray catbird, herring gull, house sparrow, mourning dove, northern cardinal, purple finch, red-eyed vireo, ring-billed gull, ruby-throated hummingbird, rufous hummingbird, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch, white-throated sparrow, yellow warbler
