Hillside.
This one was a warmer day. Above freezing. Mostly sunny. Nice. I ended up at my desk all morning and part of the afternoon. Out the south window, I watched crows flapping about, finding food wherever it is crows find food.
Deer trail.
Dog and I arrived at Beech Hill about 3. A couple vehicles in the parking lot, which wasn’t surprising, it being Saturday—and a rather pleasant Saturday, at that. Didn’t hear or see a bird the whole way up, but met two groups of humans coming down. Still snow around from Monday. In fact, these might’ve been the first temperatures above freezing since then. A lovely hike, as always, but without anything particularly strange or noteworthy to write about.
Other than a clearly delineated trail I spotted down the eastern slope, one I presumed deer follow. And, coming down, the colorful brush stems that covered the northern hillside like a three-day beard. Red and orange and yellow. And the patches of snow along the lower trail looked gold in the light of the setting sun. And a couple clumps of winterberry. And the rising, near-quarter moon.
Back at the parking lot, just before jumping back in the pickup, I heard the distance voices of chickadees. A solitary bird species today.
Inland hills.
Soon after, in Rockland, I saw plenty of herring gulls. (Three birds total.) The calm surface of the harbor cleanly reflected the pastel sky. Later still, the sun set in brief explosion of orange.
Now, tonight, the moon just set behind the hill out back. I noticed it had a tight halo. I wonder if that portends the great rains we’re told to expect tomorrow night.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 3 p.m, I hiked the open trail.
1. Black-capped chickadee
Elsewhere
2. American crow
3. Herring gull
Moon.
