A warm and cloudless day. Comparatively warm, that is—upper-30s and 40s (F)—but that was enough to get dog and I up the switchbacks and into the sun fairly early.
Lots of birds about. Also ran into J and M, hiking-with-dogs friends, who reported following a herd of elk up a snowy gully trail we’d never followed. Well, we followed it today. Closest I’ve ever been to elk. Got a decent photo or two.
In sadder news, a good old friend and Maine reporter colleague died this morning. First bird I saw today was a Golden Eagle bound away toward the mountains. Imagined maybe that was him, outward bound. (RIP, E.)
Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 9:30 a.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up the mountain.
1. House Finch**
2. European Starling*
3. Black-capped Chickadee**
4. Northern Flicker**
5. Black-billed Magpie*
6. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay*
7. Dark-eyed Junco
8. Song Sparrow** (v)
9. Lesser Goldfinch
10. Pine Siskin (v)
Elsewhere
11. Golden Eagle
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: black-billed magpie, black-capped chickadee, dark-eyed junco, European starling, golden eagle, house finch, lesser goldfinch, northern flicker, pine siskin, song sparrow, Woodhouse’s scrub jay
