Ice.
The day dawned cool and clear and still. Temperatures in the 20s (F) first thing, but it warmed into the 30s by mid-morning. By late morning, dog and I were growing antsy, so we headed for Beech Hill.
Red squirrel.
A half a dozen cars in the parking lot. We met humans and canines coming up and down the open trail, but nary a peep from a bird. Ice had formed in damp spots and on remnant puddles. No hawks in the brilliance, so my eyes kept gravitating to the bright ribbon of bay beyond Bear Hill. In fact, a hiker we met coming down reported seeing a redtail, but it had flown.
At the summit, I decided—it being a non-hunting Sunday, and I figured the chances of ticks were slim after a decent freeze—to dive into the wooded trails.
It’d been a while. The landscape occurs so bare and forthright after the hardwoods have lost their leaves. Stretches of trail where I usually think I’m headed east turned out to be southbound stretches, or northbound. We were astonished to see a gigantic spruce had toppled—no doubt in the recent three-day windstorm—directly across the upper wooded trail. Still no birds.
Fallen tree.
Finally, about half-way down, I heard the voices of chickadees. Then, a bit lower, a small flock of goldfinches flew over (judging by their flight songs). The soggy slope above the old oak grove proved a bit slippery, what with the muddy track now covered by a layer of fallen leaves—a slope mostly dry all year but dependably wet in spring and fall. Nearing the Rockville Street parking lot, I heard the caws of crows.
Hairy woodpecker.
We returned by way of the familiar upper wooded trail, and it felt like old times. Jack knew the way and seemed excited to be passing there. We saw red squirrels and heard couple more little gangs of chickadees.
Back to the summit, and things felt relatively warm—though the feeling likely came mostly from such long, persistent exercise. When we finally arrived back at the parking lot after an hour and fifteen minutes, ours was the only vehicle there. Odd. Before climbing back in the pickup, I paused to watch some chickadees—the first Beech Hill birds I’d actually seen—and a hairy woodpecker suddenly appeared, bearing an acorn.
Only four birds today—but what a good, hard, rich hike. I’d do that again any ol’ day.
Tonight the full moon is up. The temperature has fallen into the 20s again. An icicle hangs from my weather station, and Jupiter hangs high and bright in the southern sky. Soon, Sirius will be rising.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 11:15 a.m., I hiked all trails.
1. Black-capped chickadee
2. American goldfinch (voice)
3. American crow (voice)
4. Hairy woodpecker
Elsewhere
5. Blue jay
Birch.
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, hairy woodpecker
