Chestnut-sided warbler.
I thought I caught a glimpse of sunlight coming through the blinds this early morning, but I’d already committed to sleeping in a little bit. Turns out I wasn’t imagining things. A hazy sun greeted dog and me as we puttered around making breakfast and such. Also a mourning dove singing from the peak of one of the front dormers. Nice to hear a dove so close in the morning.
Fledgling.
Mid-month is a busy time, and I got right down to it. But not so intensely that I wasn’t easily distracted by such things as the house finch giving forth across the road, the phoebes flitting about the deck, and a cardinal singing. After a while the haze burned away, and the day warmed, and I was having thoughts of a nice bike ride. In early afternoon I found myself between jobs, and so I changed and got ready to head out. But first—strange bird voices were coming from out back. Checked them out. One belonged to a pine warbler. Kind of random, but a sweet sound. The other belonged to a fledgling of some kind sitting in a tangle some low limbs. A phoebe was sitting nearby, but I couldn’t tell if this was a phoebe fledgling. (Its beak seemed rather large. A cowbird?) I never saw the phoebe feed it. But still—birds are leaving the nest.
Warmth. Sun. Exertion. Crows along the roadsides. Redstarts singing. Gulls overhead. The bike ride was lovely.
On my return, I took care of a few quick orders of business, grabbed Jack, and drove up to Beech Hill—where the parking lot was empty, the air was mild, and the birds were singing. Not madly singing, but singing. Vireo. Warblers. Robin and towhee.
Coon tracks.
Saw coon tracks in the muddy trail near the little brook. Got a good look at a chestnut-sided warbler. Spotted a silent catbird. Watched a savannah sparrow flit up onto the sod roof of Beech Nut. Wondered if the phoebes have left the nest in the eaves up there. Returning down the lower wooded trail, I heard a hermit thrush, a black-throated green, a wood-pewee. Coming through the oak grove, we spooked a small flock of turkey hens. Heard a cardinal. Heard a waxwing.
Back home, I mowed the lawn. Got the smell of cut grass up my nose. Watched house finches flying back and forth across Route 1.
Tonight, a full, cream-colored moon rose over the bay. And I saw my first firefly of the season up high in an oak tree overhanging the parking lot. And I thought back on my day of sweet exertion.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 5:15 p.m., I hiked the wooded trails.
1. Red-eyed vireo (voice)
2. Chestnut-sided warbler
3. American robin (voice)
4. American redstart (voice)
5. Eastern towhee
6. Black-capped chickadee
7. Veery (voice)
8. Yellow warbler (voice)
9. Eastern wood-pewee (voice)
10. American crow (voice)
11. Ovenbird (voice)
12. Yellow warbler (voice)
13. Song sparrow (voice)
14. Common yellowthroat (voice)
15. Gray catbird
16. Savannah sparrow
17. Hermit thrush (voice)
18. Black-throated green warbler (voice)
19. Wild turkey
20. Northern cardinal (voice)
21. Cedar waxwing (voice)
Elsewhere
22. House finch
23. Mourning dove
24. Eastern phoebe
25. House sparrow
26. Pine warbler
Ants on the iris.
Tags: American crow, American redstart, American robin, black-capped chickadee, black-throated green warbler, Cedar waxwing, chestnut-sided warbler, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, eastern wood-pewee, gray catbird, hermit thrush, house finch, house sparrow, mourning dove, northern cardinal, ovenbird, pine warbler, red-eyed vireo, savannah sparrow, song sparrow, veery, wild turkey, yellow warbler
