
The mud on the trail this morning made a squishy sound beneath my boots, but I didn’t mind. I kind of liked it, the idea that this—here, now, the melting snow of late winter—is where much of the water comes from here in the high desert. Also, I saw a lot of birds.
Saw a gang of Cassin’s Finches and a Cooper’s Hawk right by the trailhead, stalked a Juniper Titmouse until I somehow managed a pic.
The early part of the day was mostly overcast, but in afternoon it got sunny, and I heard the click-click-click! of some quail. Snuck out on the deck and got a photo of a lovely female, perched on a rose bush and sounding that alarm to the rest of her covey.
Less than a week ’til spring.
Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 8:57 a.m. (9:57 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Cooper’s Hawk
2. Dark-eyed Junco
3. Cassin’s Finch
4. American Robin** (v)
5. Lesser Goldfinch** (v)
6. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay*
7. Rock Pigeon*
8. Spotted Towhee*
9. House Finch** (v)
10. Black-capped Chickadee
11. Juniper Titmouse
12. Song Sparrow* (v)
Elsewhere
13. Eurasian collared-dove (v)
14. California Quail
Mammals
Rock Squirrel
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American robin, black-capped chickadee, California quail, Cassin’s finch, cooper's hawk, dark-eyed junco, Eurasian collared dove, house finch, juiper titmouse, lesser goldfinch, rock pigeon, rock squirrel, song sparrow, spotted towhee, Woodhouse’s scrub jay