What a morning. Similar to yesterday—but fuller of birds.
Right at the trailhead, species after species, I began to hear their voices. Second voice was the slowly (deliberately) repeated note of a Townsend’s Solitaire. And many other birds flitting around the lower trail that Jack and I rarely take.
This morning we took it.
Notable were quail and robin and singing Song Sparrow. In fact, nine of my list of 11 species occurred within the first five minutes of our hike.
The final species was an agreeable Northern Flicker (red-shafted, this being Utah). Thanks, birds.
Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 10 a.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up the mountain.
1. Black-billed Magpie*
2. Townsend’s Solitaire
3. Lesser Goldfinch**
4. House Finch*
5. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay
6. Dark-eyed Junco
7. California Quail
8. Song Sparrow (v)
9. American Robin**
10. Black-capped Chickadee**
11. Northern Flicker
Elsewhere
12. Rock Pigeon
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American robin, black-billed magpie, black-capped chickadee, California quail, dark-eyed junco, house finch, lesser goldfinch, northern flicker, rock pigeon, song sparrow, Townsend’s solitaire, Woodhouse’s scrub jay
