A few clouds this morning, just enough to make for some hazy sun early. Cool, but not as cool as the past few mornings. Still smoky air.
Very quiet along our usual hiking trails: nine species, not many of each. Afterward, doing errands in town, listed another nine species—including a vee of geese, three vultures, swallo, gull, and starling.
However, my best photo came early, thanks to a visit by a chatty scrub-jay.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 7:10 a.m. (8:10 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
10. Black-billed Magpie 11. Rock Pigeon 12. Mourning Dove 13. European Starling 14. Canada Goose 15. California Gull 16. Turkey Vulture 17. Barn Swallow 18. California Quail
Mammals
Red Squirrel Rock Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Another in a string of very similar September days—smoky, cool early, cloudless (or nearly so). About the same number of bird species, too, but different ones (as always). Few chances for great photos, but one that stood out.
Fewer bird species on this morning’s hike with dog, but no matter—still fun. Most entertaining episode (to me, anyway) began as soon as I heard the telltale chip of a Song Sparrow down amid the scrub oaks below the trail. (The species is common down in the neighborhood, but I rarely see them up the slopes.) I knew that chime-like chip, and I spied the bird not far away.
As I wondered what it was doing up there, I heard the little trill-like alarm note of a Western Tanager, perched somewhere across the trail from the sparrow. The tanager’s remarks appeared to interest the sparrow—it fluttered over to where the tanager sat and took a seat itself.
Seems that, especially during migration, I often see different species traveling together, hanging out together, keeping each other company. Usually it’s other little species following chickadees around. (Chickadees are comforting for various reasons.) But other times I notice other species buddying up. (Like yesterday’s three sparrow spp.)
Migration’s slow still, but hoping for more surprises tomorrow.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 7:09 a.m. (8:09 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay* 2. Black-chinned Hummingbird* 3. Rock Pigeon* 4. Spotted Towhee 5. Downy Woodpecker 6. Song Sparrow 7. Western Tanager 8. Black-capped Chickadee** 9. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 10. Rock Wren
Elsewhere
11. Lesser Goldfinch 12. House Finch (v)
Mammals
Red Squirrel Rock Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
