
They’re everywhere. Singing bright songs from high perches, zipping back and forth overhead, occasionally chasing each other. Making their presence known—or (in the case of females) usually lurking just out of sight.
I’m talking about Lazuli Buntings.
The species was my first lifer after I moved to Salt Lake City last August. I happened to see a male feeding a fledgling. There was no singing going on. For the most part, the birds were laying low. I thought they might be a little uncommon, maybe even rare jewels.
Turns out they’re abundant jewels—at least in these parts. And I gotta say I’m not too unhappy about it.
Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 7:45 a.m., I hiked several hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Rock Pigeon
2. Black-billed Magpie*
3. Northern Flicker (v)
4. American Robin*
5. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay
6. Black-capped Chickadee
7. Black-chinned Hummingbird*
8. Lazuli Bunting
9. Spotted Towhee
10. Black-headed Grosbeak
11. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
12. House Finch**
13. Pine Siskin
14. MacGillivray’s Warbler
15. Warbling Vireo
16. Chipping Sparrow
17. Western Tanager (v)
18. Black-throated Gray Warbler
19. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v)
20. Song Sparrow** (v)
Elsewhere
21. Eurasian Collared Dove
22. House Sparrow
Mammals
None
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American robin, black-billed magpie, black-capped chickadee, black-chinned hummingbid, black-headed grosbeak, black-throated gray warbler, blue-gray gnatcatcher, chipping sparrow, chipping vireo, Eurasian collared dove, house finch, house sparrow, lazuli bunting, MacGillivray’s warbler, northern flicker, pine siskin, red-breasted nuthatch, rock pigeon, song sparrow, spotted towhee, warbling vireo, western tanager, Woodhouse’s scrub jay