American kestrel.
Sunlight streamed through the blinds this morning. Hardly a cloud in the sky. Got breakfast, got down to my desk. Some Fridays are kind of relaxing, work-wise, but this was not one of those. Unexpected tasks cropped up. Kept me hopping. Finally—as the day warmed to near 80 degrees (F), I’d guess—I decided to go out cycling. But first I had to change my back tire.
Beech Nut.
Not a problem. Lovely day. Not a lot of breeze. Did my usual fast fourteen miles—crows, goldfinches, osprey, gulls—and returned in the glow of endorphins.
Soon after, I closed up shop for the week, grabbed my dog, and made the short drive to Beech Hill. As we turned into the parking lot, a chickadee flitted across the road in front of us. A sign of birdiness, perhaps? Before we’d gone a couple hundred yards, my list had as many birds as yesterday’s. A hairy woodpecker calling across the road was a nice switch. And coming up the open trail, I spotted an osprey flying with a purpose out over the eastern slope. Moments later, another raptor—a kestrel—flew by, closer, in the opposite direction. I watched it dive and soar as it headed down over the south hillside. Nice.
We topped the hill and dipped down to where the blackberries grow. Ate a dozen or so (still a fruitful crop). Then I heard a couple yellowthroats chipping in deep brush. I stood for a good five minutes waiting for one to pop up for a photo, but none would cooperate. However, while I waited, a hummingbird suddenly zipped across at weed-top level, hovered a minute, and moved on.
Savannah sparrow.
Heard a towhee and catbird down there, too. And walking back up and over, I heard a blue jay (nice) and saw a chipping savannah sparrow, And near at the parking lot, as I tried, through binoculars, to ID a warbler flitting about in a tree across the road, a robin flew through my field of view.
And then I heard the croack of a raven. And actually got a look at the big black bird as it flew low from southeast to northwest—where I have a hunch they’ve got a nest. More than three times as many birds on the hill today than yesterday. Were they simply taking advantage of the glorious weather? Or perhaps (also) readying for a coming storm?
Tonight is starry and still. Just about the opposite of the conditions we’re led to expect for two nights from now.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 5:45 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Black-capped chickadee
2. American goldfinch (voice)
3. Cedar waxwing
4. Hairy woodpecker (voice)
5. Song sparrow
6. Osprey
7. American kestrel
8. American crow
9. Eastern towhee (voice)
10. Common yellowthroat
11. Gray catbird (voice)
12. Ruby-throated hummingbird
13. Blue jay (voice)
14. Savannah sparrow
15. American robin
16. Northern raven
Elsewhere
17. House sparrow
18. Herring gull
19. Mourning dove
20. Northern cardinal
21. Green heron
Apple, Beech Hill, Rockport, Maine, 26 August 2011.
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American kestrel, American robin, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, Cedar waxwing, common yellowthroat, eastern towhee, gray catbird, green heron, hairy woodpecker, herring gull, house sparrow, mourning dove, northern cardinal, northern raven, osprey, ruby-throated hummingbird, song sparrow
