As the weather-folk promised, it snowed overnight. An inch toward the trailhead, two inches up a few hundred feet. Warm hike, though—above freezing throughout. Still some nice bird life, though.
Emerging up onto the bluff trail, I spied an accipiter perched alone in a tree on the overlook and thought, young Northern Goshawk! (I’ve seen only four or five, all in this area, and I saw its pale eyebrow and white-speckled back.) Snapped a ton of photos.
Only when I viewed those photos later did I realize the bird was way too small and compact for a goshawk—finally decided it was a juvie sharpie. Still a little worried I might be wrong. (Accipiters have always tended to confuse me, for some reason.)
Lovely day, though. Great hike with dog.
Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 9:03 a.m. (MST), I hiked several hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay**
2. Black-billed Magpie*
3. Black-capped Chickadee
4. Sharp-shinned Hawk
5. House Finch
6. Spotted Towhee
7. Dark-eyed Junco
8. Rock Pigeon*
9. American Robin**
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American robin, black-billed magpie, black-capped chickadee, dark-eyed junco, house finch, rock pigeon, sharp-shinned hawk, spotted towhee, Woodhouse’s scrub jay
