Colder today than during yesterday’s snow, but clear with a warming sun. Encountered no one else during my hike with Jack—but there were plenty of tracks in the snow. Mice, deer, dog, human. Quite a few birds out, too.
And then I caught sight of a distant hawk. Too far away to ID in the field, but I thought perhaps it was a red-tail. It flew low, then perched up the mountainside near a mule deer. Through my optics, I saw that it perched upright and seemed to be wearing a dinner jacket—but that’s about it. Decided just to keep my eye out.
On our return trip, my eye spied a nearer hawk. I saw right away it was a goshawk. And it struck me that it was the same bird. (Accipiters tend to fly low, then swoop up to a perch. They have an upright posture and are nearly as large as a Red-tailed Hawk.) Felt good to solve that puzzle.
Coincidentally, in town, I spotted a red-tail, perched on a utility tower.
Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 9:30 a.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up the mountain.
1. House Finch* (v)
2. American Robin* (v)
3. Dark-eyed Junco*
4. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay
5. Black-billed Magpie*
6. Black-capped Chickadee*
7. Northern Goshawk
8. Lesser Goldfinch** (v)
9. Song Sparrow** (v)
10. Pine Siskin
Elsewhere
11. Red-tailed Hawk
12. European Starling
13. Rock Pigeon
14. Mourning Dove
15. Eurasian Collared Dove
16. House Sparrow
Mammals
Rocky Mountain Elk
Mule Deer
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American robin, black-billed magpie, black-capped chickadee, dark-eyed junco, Eurasian collared dove, European starling, house finch, house sparrow, lesser goldfinch, mourning dove, northern goshawk, pine siskin, red-tailed hawk, rock pigeon, song sparrow, Woodhouse’s scrub jay
