I’ve lived in Salt Lake City for a year now and have seen all its seasons. But I didn’t truly begin birding last year until late August or early September—so these have been an interesting few days.
I recall, for instance, how thrilled I was to see my “lifer” Lazuli Buntings—an adult male feeding a fledgling—a species I’d assumed was something of a rarity here. Not at all so, I learned this year, as more than once I had 20-plus individuals on my list from a two-hour hike with dog.
Same with Spotted Towhees, which I listed more of than buntings last September (although I heard no singing birds until spring): they had nests all over the place this year.
Lately, though, the buntings and towhees on my list are far fewer than just a week ago. Replacing them as most common up the mountain are hummingbirds and finches. And every day for the past several, I’ve seen or heard at least one Cooper’s Hawk.
These subtle, incremental changes fascinate me. Every day is truly, deeply different from the last.
Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 8 a.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay
2. Mourning Dove*
3. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
4. Lazuli Bunting
5. Black-chinned Hummingbird*
6. Black-capped Chickadee
7. Spotted Towhee
8. House Finch**
9. Cooper’s Hawk
10. Broad-tailed Hummingbird
11. Black-headed Grosbeak
12. American Robin
Elsewhere
13. Eurasian Collared Dove
14. Lesser Goldfinch (v)
Mammals
Red Squirrel (v)
Rock Squirrel
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American robin, black-capped chickadee, black-chinned hummingbird, black-headed grosbeak, blue-gray gnatcatcher, broad-tailed hummingbird, cooper's hawk, Eurasian collared dove, house finch, lazuli bunting, lesser goldfinch, mourning dove, red squirrel, rock squirrel, spotted towhee, Woodhouse’s scrub jay
