I’ve probably bragged too much about still having good hearing for my age. But, truly, hearing the notes and sounds and music that birds make helps me find them, ID them, engage with them. I feel lucky, thankful, grateful. Of course having good, accurate sight also means better birding—and there are plenty of birders who have only one or the other. But today in particular, my ears did most of the grunt work.
For instance, eight of 18 species on my hike list (and one on my “elsewhere” list) are there only because I heard ’em. I identified a “confusing” flycatcher based on the little subtle sounds it made. And I managed to hear (and learn) a brand new bird song.
In the latter case, my distant photo of the bird helped also. Dog and I were up on the deer trail, when I heard what sounded like a Chipping Sparrow singing a unique song for the species: its trill started high, then fell down a notch, and ended with a brief third pitch. I spied the singer at the top of a distant juniper and snapped off a few pics just in case.
Later, based on the blurry photos, I looked up the song of the Brewer’s Sparrow—and, sure enough, that was the bird I’d heard.
It’s fun to bird by ear.
Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 7:37 a.m. (8:37 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Lazuli Bunting
2. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay*
3. Black-headed Grosbeak (v)
4. Black-chinned Hummingbird
5. Spotted Towhee
6. Black-capped Chickadee (v)
7. Pine Siskin (v)
8. American Robin* (v)
9. Song Sparrow (v)
10. Lesser Goldfinch (v)
11. Cooper’s Hawk
12. Dusky Flycatcher
13. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
14. House Finch**
14. Chipping Sparrow
16. Brewer’s Sparrow†
17. Warbling Vireo (v)
18. Orange-crowned Warbler (v)
Elsewhere
19. California Quail
20. Eurasian Collared-dove
21. Mourning Dove
22. Black-billed Magpie (v)
Mammals
Red 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, blue-gray gnatcatcher, Brewer’s sparrow, California quail, chipping sparrow, cooper's hawk, dusky flycatcher, Eurasian collared dove, house finch, lazuli bunting, lesser goldfinch, mourning dove, Orange-crowned Warbler, pine siskin, red squirrel, song sparrow, spotted towhee, warbling vireo, Woodhouse’s scrub jay
