Penobscot Bay.
Cinco de Mayo. Wet outside this morning. Again I didn’t feel like an early hike and so launched into desk work first thing. However, I did notice a pair of phoebes hunting on the fringes of the parking lot. They were joined by a male house finch. I’m not sure the phoebes will keep the nest out back, though—I didn’t see them anywhere near it today and wonder if they’ve been put off by the comings and goings of Jack and me. Perhaps they’ve built another nest on the empty house next door (where I believe they’ve nested in past years). We shall see.
American kestrel.
Early on, I had to take a quick trip to town to restart a server. En route, I saw rock pigeons and starlings. And outside the datacenter, I heard a sweet, three-note bird song (repeated) that I didn’t recognize. I have no idea what it was.
On my return, carrying breakfast downstairs, I dropped egg and potatoes upside-down on the carpet. Ate ’em anyway.
In early afternoon, I heard the call of a pileated woodpecker coming from pretty close by and so hurried upstairs for my camera. Just as I looked out back for it, I saw it fly away up the hill.
Toward the end of the day—which proved mostly dry but persistently overcast—I grabbed Jack and we headed to the post office and grocery store. Coming along Main Street, I spotted a little flock of birds that I assumed were starlings at first but that turned out to be waxwings. A mourning dove perched on a utility line (where one always seems to be perched) along South Street. We pulled into the parking lot at the wooded Beech Hill trailhead. Got out. Listened.
Not a sound.
Maple buds.
It was quiet as a library up there, in fact—at least for most of the trip up. Finally, I did hear the call of a towhee. Then a chickadee. After a while, a crow. And sometime later, a gull. Mostly very silent.
At one point I did hear the chip of a yell0w-rump flying over. And emerging at the summit, I caught sight of a kestrel winging its way around Beech Nut from the western slope. After a minute or two of listening, I heard the voice of a song sparrow. Just one song. Otherwise, only the distant rush of traffic on Route 17.
Returning, I heard the flight song of a goldfinch—but that was it. No birds at all down the lower wooded trail. Bad weather, bad time of day. Maybe tomorrow morning will prove more fruitful. This should be an active, birdy time of year.
Back at the parking lot, I stopped at the kiosk and heard the note of a phoebe. Nine species on the hill today.
Still wet tonight, but not raining. Looking forward to morning.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 5:15 p.m., I hiked the wooded trails.
1. Eastern towhee
2. Black-capped chickadee (voice)
3. American crow
4. Herring gull (voice)
5. Yellow-rumped warbler (voice)
6. American kestrel
7. Song sparrow (voice)
8. American goldfinch (voice)
9. Eastern phoebe (voice)
Elsewhere
10. House finch
11. House sparrow
12. Rock pigeon
13. European starling
14. Cedar waxwing
15. Mourning dove
16. Pileated woodpecker
17. Northern cardinal
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American kestrel, black-capped chickadee, Cedar waxwing, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, European starling, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, mourning dove, northern cardinal, pileated woodpecker, rock pigeon, song sparrow, yellow-rumped warbler
