What began as a damp, chilly, quiet morning in the foothills (after an overnight shower or two) turned out to be the most exciting of the young season for dog and me.
Golden Eagle.
First, the sound of a siren rose from I-215 below, and a few seconds later, the scrub downhill from us erupted in yips and barks and howls. Many coyotes, singing at the tops of their lungs—and for a good couple of minutes. (And behind us, from somewhere high up the near the ridge, came another solo howl.)
Next, we encountered a little flock of juncos. First juncos since spring.
Finally, a Golden Eagle flew by. First eagle—or big bird of any kind—in a good long while.
I’ll take a morning like this one any ol’ day.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 7:40 a.m. (8:40 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. House Finch** 2. Rock Pigeon* 3. Ruby-crowned Kinglet (v) 4. White-crowned Sparrow 5. Northern Flicker 6. Mourning Dove 7. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 8. Song Sparrow** (v) 9. Yellow-rumped Warbler 10. American Robin 11. Lesser Goldfinch** 12. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay 13. Black-billed Magpie (v) 14. Dark-eyed Junco 15. Pine Siskin (v) 16. Golden Eagle 17. Downy Woodpecker (v) 18. Spotted Towhee (v)
Mammals
Red Squirrel Mountain Coyote Rock Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
I do admire the handsomeness of a White-crowned Sparrow. And for two straight mornings—a fair one and an overcast one—they honored me by posing for photos. So here’s another pic.
Yesterday’s forecast had called for morning showers, but none appeared. (There was a brief midday one.) A dozen species again, including—today’s surprise—a Northern Harrier, headed south.
The weather folks are more confident of rain tomorrow. We shall see.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 7:40 a.m. (8:40 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. House Finch** 2. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay 3. Yellow-rumped Warbler 4. Rock Pigeon* 5. Northern Flicker 6. Spotted Towhee (v) 7. Black-capped Chickadee 8. White-crowned Sparrow 9. American Robin 10. Black-billed Magpie (v) 11. Northern Harrier 12. Lesser Goldfinch 13. American Robin
Elsewhere
13. Eurasian Collared-dove
Mammals
Red Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Slept a little late, got a little busy, so we arrived at the trailhead a bit late, dog and I. Climbed the switchback, and arrived at the old Monarch Quarry just in time for a flurry of migrating birds.
At least I’m pretty sure they were migrating—aor that most of them were. Sparrows, a kinglet, bunch of yellow-rumps, and a gang of towhees. Those first fifteen or twenty minutes were pretty exciting, gotta tell ya. A few birds even posed for shady photos.
And at the end of our hike, back at the quarry’s edge, I happened to spy a random Steller’s Jay—which, as I followed at a distance with my binocs, turned out to be a pair.
Supposed to have rain showers tomorrow. Should be fun.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 7:46 a.m. (8:46 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Spotted Towhee** 2. House Finch* 3. Yellow-rumped Warbler 4. Rock Pigeon* 5. American Robin 6. Pine Siskin 7. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay 8. Ruby-crowned Kinglet 9. Black-capped Chickadee 10. White-crowned Sparrow 11. Northern Flicker 12. Lesser Goldfinch 14. Black-billed Magpie** (v) 15. Steller’s Jay
Mammals
Mountain Cottontail Red Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
