
Good and bad news this morning. The bad news first: Jack didn’t want to go. He’s had a couple episodes the past few days (stick lodged in throat, finally swallowed, and a missed jump into the truck after a hike, causing a minor fall), and he’s been a little lethargic since, so we have a vet appointment on Monday—although yesterday he was fine on the trails. Still, I figured he could use a day off (first since October 2019).
So although I thought about him the whole way, I ended up doing a ridge hike—a long, slow walk uphill a good ways, then downhill again, all the while observing a whole heap of migrating birds.
Three firsts-of-year (Rock Wren, MacGillivray’s Warbler, Wilson’s Warbler), and waves of wrens, chippies, Warbling Vireos, and grosbeaks. Today’s list had the most birds on it than any for a good long time.
I’m guessing Jack will be OK with a hike tomorrow.
Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 7:19 a.m. (8:19 MDT), I hiked about 1,200 feet up a mountain.
1. Lesser Goldfinch** (v)
2. Cooper’s Hawk
3. Lazuli Bunting
4. Black-chinned Hummingbird
5. Black-headed Grosbeak
6. Mourning Dove
7. Spotted Towhee
8. Rock Pigeon
9. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay
10. Black-capped Chickadee
11. Rock Wren†
12. Warbling Vireo
13. Orange-crowned Warbler
14. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
15. House Finch
16. Virginia’s Warbler
17. Chipping Sparrow
18. MacGillivray’s Warbler†
19. American Robin*
20. Pine Siskin (v)
21. Chukar (v)
22. Violet-green Swallow
23. Dark-eyed Junco
24. Broad-tailed Hummingbird
25. Turkey Vulture
26. Black-throated Gray Warbler
27. Wilson’s Warbler†
Elsewhere
28. Black-billed Magpie
29. California Quail
30. Song Sparrow
Mammals
Rock Squirrel
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird
Tags: American robin, black-billed magpie, black-capped chickadee, black-chinned hummingbird, black-headed grosbeak, black-throated gray warbler, blue-gray gnatcatcher, broad-tailed hummingbird, California quail, chipping sparrow, chukar, cooper's hawk, dark-eyed junco, house finch, lazuli bunting, lesser goldfinch, MacGillivray’s warbler, mourning dove, Orange-crowned Warbler, pine siskin, rock pigeon, rock squirrel, rock wren, song sparrow, spotted towhee, turkey vulture, violet-green swallow, Virginia’s warbler, warbling vieo, Wilson's warbler, Woodhouse’s scrub jay