Early in our hike this morning, dog and I encountered two first-of-year bird species, migrants that had likely arrived overnight. In a bit of irony, both sparrows, and they appeared on different twigs of the same tree: a White-crowned Sparrow and a Chipping Sparrow. I wonder if they flew together.
It was a calm morning, with a hazy half-overcast. Warm enough, and dry. Mammals were about also—cottontails, squirrels, deer. Titmice, a high-flying sharpie, and up in the junipers, another chippy.
Supposed to be cloudy the next few days, with calm overnights. Could well mean more new arrivals.
Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 7:49 a.m. (8:49 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. American Robin*
2. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v)
3. Black-billed Magpie
4. House Finch**
5. Mourning Dove (v)
6. Spotted Towhee
7. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay**
8. Juniper Titmouse (v)
9. White-crowned Sparrow‡
10. Chipping Sparrow‡
11. Rock Pigeon*
12. Black-capped Chickadee
13. Sharp-shinned Hawk
14. Northern Flicker (v)
15. Pine Siskin (v)
16. Lesser Goldfinch (v) **
17. California Quail
Elsewhere
18. European Starling
Mammals
Red Squirrel
Mountain Cottontail
Mule Deer
Rock Squirrel
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
‡First-of-year bird
Tags: American robin, black-billed magpie, black-capped chickadee, California quail, chipping sparrow, European starling, house finch, juniper titmouse, lesser goldfinch, mountain cottontail, mourning dove, mule deer, northern flicker, pine siskin, red squirrel, red-breasted nuthatch, rock pigeon, rock squirrel, sharp-shinned hawk, spotted towhee, white-crowned sparrow, Woodhouse’s scrub jay
