Savannah sparrow.
I pulled on shorts and a t-shirt this morning, as I’ve done most mornings for weeks. When I took Jack out early, it seemed a bit nippy out, but with such a brilliant cloudless sky it didn’t occur to me to change into jeans. In fact, I turned on the fan to move the air around the office, then proceeded to get busy. Not until early afternoon did the prospect of a nice bike ride lure me away.
Beech Nut.
It’d warmed considerably. Maybe low-70s (F) still, but warm enough. Judging by the flags across the road, I figured I’d be heading into a south wind first thing—and sure enough the ride to town took some extra effort. I also noticed a great gray cloud looming in the west. It looked like it might be carrying a little rain. About half-way down, I heard the telltale sound of an air leak in my back tire, but the sound faded, the tire held, and I pressed on. At the post office, I realized I had to change the tube. A glass hole in the tire from a flat a couple weeks ago was apparently the weak spot. Quickly swapped out the tube and headed for the bank.
Then the grocery store for some tortillas, which I stuffed in my pack. Then headed back north up Route 1. The cloud moved over, and it began to drizzle. Very light rain, nothing to worry about. The sun shone still, in fact, for a while. But the drizzle cooled the air enough that I didn’t sweat much. Hit another post office, stopped off at Maine Sport for some fresh tubes and air cartridges and to order a new back tire.
No trouble riding home—just a sort of persistent nip in the air. I did ID plenty of birds: goldfinches, crows, ospreys (two), cardinal, doves (rock and mourning), jay. By the time I got back to my desk, it was quittin’ time.
Grass.
I changed into jeans for my Beech Hill hike with dog, as usual. I do that because of ticks—but today I appreciated the extra warmth. Breezy up there, and now with a voluptuous sky. The usual birds—plus a singer I didn’t recognize and a graceful flyer that might’ve been a shorebird, or even a nighthawk. Couldn’t be sure. And the savannah sparrow accosted us from the trailside again. (I assume it was the same bird as yesterday.) And a sudden rise of at least sixty, maybe eighty crows.
It’s getting to be that time of year.
Tonight I’ve closed most of my windows. A starry sky out there again. The faint sounds of crickets—and a solitary frog.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 5:30 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. American crow
2. Cedar waxwing
3. American goldfinch
4. Savannah sparrow
5. Gray catbird (voice)
6. Eastern towhee (voice)
7. Black-capped chickadee (voice)
8. Mourning dove (voice)
Elsewhere
9. House sparrow
10. Herring gull
11. Rock pigeon
12. Osprey
13. Northern cardinal
14. Blue jay
Inland hills.
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, Cedar waxwing, eastern towhee, gray catbird, herring gull, house sparrow, mourning dove, northern cardinal, osprey, rock pigeon, savannah sparrow
