Eastern bluebird (female).
A flurry of activity this morning. Breakfast, Saturday errands, a little desk work, a quick hike up Beech Hill. Crows and house sparrows around my place, and herring gulls flying over. Chillier today than it has been.
Beech Nut.
Among my errands today was a quick trip to the dump with recclables. And if I might rant for a moment—how lazy are people who don’t wash out their jars and cans? Peanut butter jars with thick globs chunky, tomato cans with labels and caked-on remnants of food. I’m not known as the tidiest guy on the planet, but I do wash my dishes at least once a day. And doing the cans and jars while I’m at it takes all of maybe thirty seconds. So many lazy, careless, thoughtless people out there. Litterers, too, I bet. How’d they end up without a conscience?
Hit the hill in early—or, considering the short photoperiod, mid-—afternoon. A little flock of goldfinches surprised me at the parking lot. They fluttered up into the crown of what might have been a beech tree and began pecking away at the little fruit (beech nuts?). I don’t know trees well, so I can’t say for sure. But I can tell you I also heard chickadees and crows as we made our way up the hill, dog and I.
We met and passed a group of four fellow hikers about two-thirds of the way up the trail. Just as we did, I saw some little birds flittting down over the blueberry fields. More bluebirds. The other hikers were nice to fall back until I got a couple photos of a comely female. I would guess I saw a half-dozen bluebirds up there today. And I thought my sighting of a week or so ago was late for the species.
Berries.
The hike was nice. The college football game afterward, not so nice. But it’s a “rebuilding year.” Right? (Right?)
Tonight is a clear one. With a moon. And Jupiter. And a couple of Jupiter’s moons.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 1:45 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Black-capped chickadee
2. American goldfinch
3. American crow (voice)
4. Eastern bluebird
Elsewhere
5. Herring gull
6. House sparrow
7. Rock pigeon
8. Northern cardinal
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, black-capped chickadee, eastern bluebird, herring gull, house sparrow, northern cardinal, rock pigeon
