The magpies have fledged. Pretty sure the scrub-jays, too. Certainly the starlings have. But up on the mountain trails, a few species have yet to build their nests—or have just built them, just laid, or are still incubating eggs (or warming nestlings). Gnatcatchers are still sitting on the nest I found.
I expect the youngsters to start making subtle begging sounds any day now. The adults are surely making plenty of noise when a human and/or a dog come near. Or, heaven forbid, a scrub-jay: Today I watched a tiny Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher dive-bomb a jay that had dared to approach to near its nest. Over and over. It drove that big bird a good hundred feet away, at least.
I admire the feisty little gnatcatchers. Not sure the gnats agree.
Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 8:30 a.m., I hiked several hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Song Sparrow** (v)
2. Black-headed Grosbeak
3. Rock Pigeon
4. California Quail*
5. European Starling* (v)
6. Lazuli Bunting
7. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay
8. Black-capped Chickadee
9. Lesser Goldfinch (v)
10. Northern Flicker (v)
11. Black-billed Magpie*
12. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
13. Spotted Towhee
14. Black-chinned Hummingbird*
15. American Robin*
16. House Finch**
17. Orange-crowned Warbler (v)
18. Warbling Vireo (v)
19. Chipping Sparrow (v)
20. Black-throated Gray Warbler (v)
21. MacGillivray’s Warbler
22. Pine Siskin (v)
Elsewhere
23. Mourning Dove (v)
Mammals
Rock Pigeon
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American robin, black-billed magpie, black-capped chickadee, black-chinned hummingbird, black-headed grosbeak, black-throated gray warbler, blue-gray gnatcatcher, California quail, chipping sparrow, European starling, house finch, lazuli bunting, lesser goldfinch, MacGillivray’s warbler, mourning dove, northern flicker, Orange-crowned Warbler, pine siskin, rock pigeon, rock squirrel, song sparrow, spotted towhee, warbling vireo, Woodhouse’s scrub jay
