I see more doves and pigeons here than I ever did in Maine. For one thing, there’s an extra species (Eurasian Collared Dove); for another, the pigeons here come in flocks of a hundred or more—at this time of year, at least, when they swoop and veer in huge numbers up and around the foothill canyons.
Alhough I rarely get an up-close look at them, today dog and I encountered a solitary bird perched on a rocky overlook. We stopped. It stayed, I approached nearer. It stayed. I got near enough for close-up photos, and the pigeon didn’t move. Then I noticed the blue band around it’s leg.
Not the first banded pigeon I’ve seen here, turns out. I got nothing against pigeons, though. In fact, I rather like ’em.
Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 8 a.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay (v)
2. Mourning Dove*
3. American Robin
4. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
5. House Finch**
6. Rock Pigeon*
7. Spotted Towhee
8. Black-chinned Hummingbird
9. Lazuli Bunting
10. Black-headed Grosbeak
11. Black-capped Chickadee
12. Pine Siskin (v)
13. Broad-tailed Hummingbird
14. Warbling Vireo
15. Black-throated Gray Warbler
16. Virginia’s Warbler
17. Cooper’s Hawk (v)
18. Northern Flicker
Elsewhere
19. Lesser Goldfinch
20. Black-billed Magpie
Mammals
Mountain Cottontail
(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, braod-tailed hummingbird, cooper's hawk, house finch, lazuli bunting, lesser goldfinch, mountain cottontail, mourning dove, northern flicker, pine siskin, rock pigeon, spotted towhee, Virginia’s warbler, warbling vireo, Woodhouse’s scrub jay
