Nice hike this early morning—even coolish, what with a partial overcast (and even some curtains of rain that I don’t believe ever hit drought-parched ground). The usual suspects, fourteen species in all.
Back at home, the quail were about, s they have been every recent day. California Quail were brought here back in the 1800s and have made themselves at home—to the point that they tend to hang out in the neighborhood, perhaps for the variety of fruit and other food, along with water. Yesterday, I spotted a teensy little baby quail hanging out with its mom. Sometimes the males will perch on the spherical top of the chainlink fence post and give their rather loud exotic call.
I never saw California Quail until I moved out here. Then again, I’ve never been to California.
Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 6:59 a.m. (7:59s MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Black-headed Grosbeak (v)
2. Black-billed Magpie*
3. Lazuli Bunting
4. Black-capped Chickadee (v)
5. Spotted Towhee
6. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
7. Rock Pigeon*
8. House Finch**
9. Black-chinned Hummingbird
10. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay
11. Warbling Vireo (v)
12. Black-throated Gray Warbler
13. Chipping Sparrow
14. Violet-green Swallow
Elsewhere
15. American Robin
16. Song Sparrow (v)
17. Eurasian Collared-dove (v)
18. California Quail
19. House Sparrow (v)
Mammals
Rock Squirrel
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American robin, black-billed magpie, black-capped chickadee, black-chinned hummingbird, black-headed grosbeak, black-throated gray warbler, blue-gray gnatcatcher, California quail, chipping sparrow, Eurasian collared dove, house finch, house sparrow, lazuli bunting, rock pigeon, rock squirrel, song sparrow, spotted towhee, violet-green swallow, warbling vireo, Woodhouse’s scrub jay
