Usually I stick to birds around here, but this breezy, blue-sky morning I saw my first mountain lion.
I heard it first—a high, slurred whistle that didn’t sound like any bird I knew—then scanned the sunny slope across the valley and spotted the big cat. It was clearly a youngster, was just wandering around sniffing things. And in broad daylight, no less. Still an exciting moment.
Elsewhere, quite a few bird species on my list—including two lifers for me (White-throated Swift and Willow Flycacher).
Just another memorable spring day.
Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 7:45 a.m., I hiked about 1,200 feet up a mountain.
1. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay
2. Lazuli Bunting
3. Black-capped Chickadee
4. Spotted Towhee
5. House Finch*
6. Pine Siskin
7. Broad-tailed Hummingbird**
8. Virginia’s Warbler
9. Black-chinned Hummingbird (v)
10. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
11. Black-headed Grosbeak (v)
12. Chipping Sparrow
13. Orange-crowned Warbler
14. Black-throated Gray Warbler
15. Chukar (v)
16. Red-breasted Nuthatch** (v)
17. Yellow-rumped Warbler
18. White-throated Swift*†‡
19. American Robin*
20. California Quail*
21. Black-billed Magpie*
22. Willow Flycatcher†‡
23. Song Sparrow* (v)
Elsewhere
24. Eurasian Collared Dove
25. European Starling
26. Rock Pigeon
27. American Crow
28. House Sparrow
Mammals
Mountain Lion
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird
‡Lifer
Tags: American crow, American robin, black-billed magpie, black-capped chickadee, black-chinned hummingbird, black-headed grosbeak, black-throated gray warbler, blue-gray gnatcatcher, broad-tailed hummingbird, California quail, chipping sparrow, chukar, Eurasian collared dove, European starling, house finch, house sparrow, lazuli bunting, mountain lion, Orange-crowned Warbler, pine siskin, red-breasted nuthatch, rock pigeon, song sparrow, spotted towhee, Virginia’s warbler, white-throated swift, willow flycatcher, Woodhouse’s scrub jay, yellow-rumped warbler
