Northern harrier.
The day dawned cool and cloudless. Before I rolled out of bed I listened for a while to robins, a house finch, a song sparrow, crows. Then, for reasons I won’t go into here, I ended up spending the rest of the day super-glued to my desk. Only when I stepped out in late afternoon did I regret having not managed a bicycle ride. (Frack.)
Turkey vulture.
But after work, dog and I at least had our Beech Hill hike to look forward to. Today we met my friend Liz at the Rockville Street parking lot, and the three of us started up a trail with a lot less snow than yesterday’s. Right away we heard herring gulls calling from over at the cow farm. Coming up through the little poplar grove, we remarked on how many dead trees—and tree stumps—showed signes of the ravages of the pileated woodpecker. Then a ruffed grouse took wing up the trail and sailed over and out of view.
Robins were zipping about in the trees, as usual. Probably a couple dozen of them on the wooded slope, calling, squealing—even singing. Crows around, too.
At the point in the trail where the bay spreads wide to the east—visible only in leafless seasons—I spotted a turkey vulture sailing in the chilly air. Not long after, we heard our first fox sparrows. But they were elusive, the sparrows. Caught sight only of the blurry wings of a couple that flitted away from the trail. But we did hear a flicker, then another. Then saw one flying over. Chickadees in the woods, as well.
Sunset.
We didn’t make it all the way to the summit, but stopped for a while at the upper fields. As we were admiring the buds of a pussy willow, a harrier appeared from over the trees. My camera needed waking up, or I might’ve had a better photo.
We retraced our steps back down the upper trail in hopes of scaring up a fox sparrow, since Liz had never seen one. We heard a couple chipping. Then one sang. Then we got a great look at a couple of ’em (although I couldn’t manage a decent photo through the brush). Robins scattered as we descended. More chickadees flitting about us on either side of the path.
Nearing the parking lot, I heard a nuthatch. Also the chip! chip! of a cardinal—and then I saw a pair of redbirds hopping about in the crown of a tree in the middle distance. At least I was pretty sure they were cardinals. The sudden, sweet, strident song of the male bird confirmed it.
Back home, I stood on the deck for a while watching the crescent moon hanging over the naked oaks up the hill. Heard the sad-sounding voice a mourning dove. The notes of the resident cardinals. And then, off in the shadows, the gobble-gobble! of a wild turkey.
Sign of spring.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 5:15 p.m., I hiked the wooded trails.
1. Herring gull
2. Ruffed grouse
3. American robin
4. American crow
5. Turkey vulture
6. Northern flicker
7. Black-capped chickadee
8. Fox sparrow
9. Northern harrier
10. White-breasted nuthatch (voice)
11. Northern cardinal
Elsewhere
12. House finch
13. House sparrow
14. Song sparrow
15. Rock pigeon
16. Ring-billed gull
17. Mourning dove
18. Wild turkey
Tags: American robin, black-capped chickadee, fox sparrow, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern flicker, northern harrier, ring-billed gull, rock pigeon, ruffed grouse, turkey vulture, white-breasted nuthatch, wild turkey
