A warmish, damp, and windy morning. Mostly overcast. Winds of 15 to 20 miles an hour, I bet—breezier than any morning hike here so far. Not as many bird species as yesterday, but plenty of interest.
Especially thrilling was the pair of ravens that soared silently over to check out a man and his dog descending from a good hike. Looked up, and there they were—floating in the breeze not thirty feet above us. Gotta tell you, I felt blessed.
I haven’t experienced an entire month of March here yet, but I’d be surprised if the remnant snow patches last more than a few days.
Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 9:30 a.m. (DST), I hiked a few hundred feet up the mountain.
1. Black-billed Magpie*
2. Pine Siskin
3. Black-capped Chickadee
4. House Finch**
5. Spotted Towhee
6. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay
7. Dark-eyed Junco
8. Golden Eagle
9. Northern Flicker (v)
10. Common Raven
Elsewhere
11. American Robin
12. Lesser Goldfinch (v)
Mammals
Rocky Mountain Elk
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American robin, black-billed magpie, black-capped chickadee, common raven, dark-eyed junco, golden eagle, house finch, lesser goldfinch, northern flicker, pine siskin, rocky mountain elk, spotted towhee, Woodhouse’s scrub jay
