Another morning much like the last few: chilly, cloudless, bright. Dog and I got started a little later to emerge earlier from the mountain shade, saw some good birds, and encountered a surprise.
Silver-haired Bat?
Noteworthy: I saw and/or heard ten yellow-rumps. (They’re harder to photograph in a wide open landscape, but I like having them around.) Only one towhee, but many finches. No sparrows. A red-tail on a utility pole down below.
On our return, I happened to catch sight of what looked to me, at the time, like some kind of hornets nest. Snapped a few pics. Hours later, when I finally checked my photos, I discovered—much to my astonishment—that it appeared to be some kind of bat. Decided it was a Silver-haired Bat (might well be wrong).
A surprisingly auspicious first hike of fall.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 7:29 a.m. (8:29 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. House Finch 2. Black-billed Magpie** 3. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay** 4. Yellow-rumped Warbler 5. Rock Pigeon* 6. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 7. Northern Flicker (v) 8. Spotted Towhee (v) 9. Lesser Goldfinch 10. American Robin 11. Red-tailed Hawk
Elsewhere
12. California Quail 13. House Sparrow 14. Barn Swallow 15. European Starling
Mammals
Silver-haired Bat [I think] Red Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Chilly morning again, but with a flock of sheep in the sky. More yellow-rumps moving through, flickers calling, chippies sneaking around. I thought sure I saw a raven soaring high in the sky, but photos revealed it was a Cooper’s Hawk (second time that’s happened).
Since dog and I hike in morning, today’s birds were the final birds of summer. Tomorrow’s will be the first birds of fall.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 7:25 a.m. (8:25 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay** 2. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 3. Rock Pigeon* 4. House Finch** 5. Spotted Towhee 6. Yellow-rumped Warbler 7. Black-billed Magpie 8. American Robin 9. Cooper’s Hawk 10. Chipping Sparrow 11. Northern Flicker 12. Lesser Goldfinch* 13. Red-tailed Hawk
Elsewhere
14. Song Sparrow
Mammals
Rock Squirrel Mountain Cottontail
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Cool early, but not as cool as yesterday. Quiet again, but not quite as quiet. More migrating yellow-rumps. Also a few posing pigeons.
Rock Pigeons are, of course, considered invasive species on this here continent. As are (around here), European Starlings, Chukars, House Sparrows, and Eurasian Collared-doves. Plant-wise, every day I see Russian olive trees and hillsides covered with myrtle spurge (although the latter is technically an escaped ornamental).
However, I rather resent calling these things “invasives.” In fact, considering we humans are responsible for all these misplaced species, it’s shifting blame.
Me? I appreciate each pigeon for blameless critter it is.
(Note: the autumn equinox arrived in afternoon, so tomorrow’s will be our first fall hike this year.)
Grandeur Peak Area List At 7:21 a.m. (8:21 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Northern Flicker 2. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay** 3. Rock Pigeon* 4. Spotted Towhee 5. American Robin 6. House Finch* 7. Yellow-rumped Warbler 8. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 9. Chipping Sparrow 10. Black-billed Magpie** 11. Pine Siskin (v) 12. Lesser Goldfinch
Elsewhere
13. Barn Swallow 14. American Crow 15. Red-tailed Hawk
Mammals
Red Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
