A chilly, overcast morning, as expected. The slick mud of yesterday had (also as expected) had mostly dried, and dog and I enjoyed our daily excursion. The usual suspects, mostly—along with a goodly number of deer (not expected).
The most noteworthy moment came as we were returning via the deer trail and I heard the single, subtle cry of a Cooper’s Hawk. It came from approximately they’d nested last year. We stopped, and I listened and looked for a good ten or fifteen minutes—as single cries were followed by the species’s signature, repetitive call. But I never saw the bird.
At evening, though, I did the silhouette of a robin against a cantaloupe sky.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 8:15 a.m., sun time, I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Eurasian Collared-dove* (v) 2. American Robin* 3. Pine Siskin (v) 4. Spotted Towhee** 5. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay 6. Rock Pigeon* 7. House Finch* (v) 8. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 9. Dark-eyed Junco 10. Cooper’s Hawk (v) 11. Northern Flicker (v)
Elsewhere
12. House Sparrow (v) 13. Song Sparrow 14. Lesser Goldfinch
Mammals
Mule Deer
(v) Voice only *Also Elsewhere **Voice only Elsewhere
This morning was a little nippy, but the skies quickly cleared, and my hike with dog proved enjoyable and inspiring. Had a low-flowing red-tail early, robins and towhees and jays, just three deer, but a good-sized gaggle of chickadees.
Slippery trails on account of yesterday’s rain (and more coming tomorrow), but by afternoon the day had warmed considerably.
No new migrants—but today for the first time, I had no doubt it’s spring.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 8:15 a.m., sun time, I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. American Robin* 2. Pine Siskin (v) 3. Spotted Towhee 4. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay** 5. Rock Pigeon* 6. Red-tailed Hawk 7. House Finch* (v) 8. Black-capped Chickadee 9. Black-billed Magpie* 10. Northern Flicker 11. Song Sparrow* (v) 12. Eurasian Collared-dove 13. Lesser Goldfinch* (v)
Elsewhere
14. California Quail** 15. Mourning Dove (v) 16. European Starling (v) 17. American Crow 18. Turkey Vulture
Mammals
Mule Deer
(v) Voice only *Also Elsewhere **Voice only Elsewhere
