New leaves.
I’m pretty sure phoebes will be nesting above my back window again this year—judging by their incessant early singing out there, anyway. Incessant, yes, but not unpleasant. I rather like the phoebe’s eponymous song (so to speak). This morning, I thought I detected a couple of different patterns in it, in fact—including its tendency to repeat the first note of its typical pair three times before adding the second one. I’m more of a bird listener, after all.
The temperature today was mild, the sun bright, the wind something to be contended with. Had a brisk bike ride. Had a nice Beech Hill hike with Jack. Oddly, most of the birds on today’s list appeared early: right away, I spotted a hermit thrush, and then a red-tailed hawk circled over. Heard at least four towhees calling. And coming back down I heard the first hermit thrush song.
The greening of the woods is happening fast. Truth be told, I’m getting kind of psyched about the impending flood of spring migrants.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 4:15 p.m., I hiked the wooded trails.
1. Hermit thrush
2. Eastern phoebe (v)*
3. Black-capped chickadee (v)*
4. Red-tailed hawk**
5. American robin*
7. Herring gull*
8. Eastern towhee (v)
9. American goldfinch (v)*
Elsewhere
10. Northern cardinal
11. Tufted titmouse (v)
12. American crow
13. Mourning dove
14. House finch (v)
15. European starling
16. House sparrow (v)
17. Song sparrow
18. Osprey (v)
19. Common grackle (v)
20. Brown-headed cowbird (v)
21. Downy woodpecker (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**First-of-year bird
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, black-capped chickadee, brown-headed cowbird, common grackle, downy woodpecker, eastern phoebe, eastern towhee, European starling, hermit thrush, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, mourning dove, northern cardinal, osprey, red-tailed hawk, song sparrow, tufted titmouse
