Flowing trail.
Overcast and drizzly this morning—conditions that increased the rushing sound of passing cars on Route 1. Crows about, as always. Right away, when first I set foot outside, I heard the musical rattle of a pileated woodpecker coming from up the hillside out back of the neighbor’s place. House finches calling, too. The chirps of house sparrows.
European starling.
Not a hard rain, but a steady one. Combine that with temperatures that hadn’t dipped below freezing in a while, and you had the recipe of a significant thaw. A typical April thaw. A backdrop of running, dripping water. A general liquid ambience.
Sat bolted to my desk for most of the day, but I knew I had to get out in it. Something about the sweet watery lusciousness of this day. Took a while.
But finally, we embarked on a quick trip to town, dog and I. Herring gulls all over the place. At the post office, I heard the squawks of a starling. Looked for it and finally spotted it perched on a chimney atop one of the buildings in the business block. Robins flitted here and there along the roadsides. Amid all the dripping and gurgling, it was a challenge to listen for birds.
By 5 p.m. Jack and I had at last begun our daily Beech Hill hike. A light rain fell. I was impressed at how much snow had melted in just the past 24 hours. Water and mud and liquidity. The little brook ran swiftly. Didn’t expect to list many birds in such dreary conditions, but right away I heard three or four crows cawing, then looked up to watch them fly over. Also heard some chickadees. And a little pack of robins. Even a random flicker call. Got thinking that probably today was the day that I’d miss on the fox sparrows—I’ve been expecting them to migrate away any day now—but toward the top of the upper trail, there there were, two or three of ’em. None singing, just delivering their faint, subtle alarm notes that I’m starting to get familiar with.
Vernal pool.
Not much else up there. Just a slushy, mushy track. On our return, as I expected , we waded through streams flowing straight down the lower trail. Gurgling, flowing streams of snowmelt.
Back at the pickup, I took a towel to Jack—he’d gotten pretty soaked. Muddiest hike of the year so far, for sure.
And still pretty drippy tonight. I hear no birds. No fog whistles. Just the rush of the hillside stream up the road a ways—a luscious, liquid sound.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 5 p.m., I hiked the wooded trails.
1. American crow
2. Black-capped chickadee
3. American robin
4. Northern flicker
5. Fox sparrow
Elsewhere
6. House finch
7. Pileated woodpecker
8. House sparrow
9. Herring gull
10. European starling
11. Mourning dove
Tags: American crow, American robin, black-capped chickadee, European starling, fox sparrow, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, mourning dove, northern flicker, pileated woodpecker
