Had errands this morning, so the hike with Jack would be short—and mostly in the mountain shade. Nice and cool, though, and I had hopes of encountering something interesting once the earth spun enough to let the sunlight top the ridge.
Even then, not many species revealed themselves. The usual suspects.
But as we were about to head down the switchback, I though I’d just check the lip of the little quarry, see if anything popped up. And what do you know, something did: A solitary Rock Wren. Posed for photos, too.
Nature’s full of revelations.
Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 8:01 a.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Rock Pigeon*
2. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay
3. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
4. Lesser Goldfinch*
5. Spotted Towhee
6. Black-billed Magpie*
7. Downy Woodpecker (v)
8. Black-capped Chickadee
9. Western Tanager (v)
10. Black-chinned Hummingbird
11. Rock Wren
12. Pine Siskin
13. Mourning Dove
14. House Finch*
Elsewhere
15. Eurasian Collared Dove (v)
16. California Quail
17. Barn Swallow
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
Tags: barn swallow, black-billed magpie, black-capped chickadee, black-chinned hummingbird, blue-gray gnatcatcher, California quail, downy woodpecker, Eurasian collared dove, house finch, lesser goldfinch, mourning dove, pine siskin, rock pigeon, rock wren, spotted towhee, western tanager, Woodhouse’s scrub jay
