As Captain Jack and I made our way up the trail to the bluff this morning—a breezy, overcast, somewhat nippy morning—four silent crows flapped across in front of us and disappeared over the rise. An early sighting, and a memorable one. American Crows are relatively uncommon here. I’ve seen a scant few, and none this near the trail. (Also, the passage of silent crows is rather astonishing.)

I got no photo of the silent crows, but I managed to grab a screen shot from my GoPro.

Elsewhere, few species stood out except a (silent) Townsend’s Solitaire. Perhaps the same one I’ve seen recently in little Coyote Canyon. After all, I spied it perched on (possibly) the same juniper.

Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 9:04 a.m. (MST), I hiked several hundred feet up a mountain.

1. American Robin** (v)
2. Black-capped Chickadee* (v)
3. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay**
4. Spotted Towhee** (v)
5. American Crow
6. Rock Pigeon*
7. House Finch** (v)
8. Black-billed Magpie* (v)
9. Townsend’s Solitaire

Mammals

Red Squirrel (v)

(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere