First thing this morning, on stepping outside with dog, I found myself in a world of active, vocal birds. Starlings, a robin, woodpeckers, sparrows, finches—I counted eleven species within about five minutes.
Similar story on our hike at mid-morning—a warmish (temperature-wise), showery (both drizzle and snow showers) morning—with flocks of siskins, juncos, corvids, and a surprise Red-tailed Hawk (which barely escaped a posse of magpies that chased it away).
Every now and then, sometimes seemingly at random, you get a very birdy day.
Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 10:15 a.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up the mountain.
1. Black-capped Chickadee
2. Black-billed Magpie*
3. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay** (v)
4. House Finch*
5. Lesser Goldfinch* (v)
6. Pine Siskin
7. Dark-eyed Junco*
8. Red-tailed Hawk
9. Song Sparrow* (v)
Elsewhere
10. European Starling
11. American Robin
12. House Sparrow (v)
13. Downy Woodpecker
14. Northern Flicker (v)
15. Rock Pigeon
16. California Gull
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American robin, black-billed magpie, black-capped chickadee, California gull, dark-eyed junco, downy woodpecker, European starling, house finch, house sparrow, lesser goldfinch, northern flicker, pine siskin, red-tailed hawk, rock pigeon, song sparrow, Woodhouse’s scrub jay
