Fun hike this morning. The highlight was the appearance of an adult Golden Eagle (after I’d predicted one might show up, ahem), which proceeded to land on the mountainside so it could preen. Within a minute (tops), a Black-billed Magpie showed up and—mostly ignored by the eagle—snuck up behind it to tug on its tailfeathers.
This happened a few times until the eagle decided to fly to another spot. Then two magpies showed up and began creeping up behind it. That was enough for the eagle, which took off and soared away.
Some sun, some snow—more snow on the way (or so I hear).
Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 10:30 a.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up the mountain.
1. Black-capped Chickadee**
2. Black-billed Magpie*
3. Lesser Goldfinch (v)
4. House Finch*
5. Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay* (v)
6. Northern Flicker**
7. Golden Eagle
8. Dark-eyed Junco*
Elsewhere
9. Song Sparrow
10. American Robin (v)
v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American robin, black-billed magpie, black-capped chickadee, dark-eyed junco, golden eagle, house finch, lesser goldfinch, northern flicker, song sparrow, Woodhouse’s scrub jay
