Slim pickin’s up in the foothills this cool morning. Quieter than on any recent day. But the birds in the neighborhood (where the water is) were active and vocal—even in the heat of afternoon.
Magpie fledglings, scurrying quail, song and house sparrows, robins galore. Starlings, collared-doves, a pair of goldfinches.
The extreme drought has made for a different kind of spring this year, with fewer species (and individuals). And on this first day of summer, I do rather wonder what these next three simmering months will bring.
Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 6:57 a.m. (7:57 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Black-headed Grosbeak
2. Rock Pigeon*
3. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay
4. Black-billed Magpie*
5. Lazuli Bunting
6. Spotted Towhee
7. House Finch**
8. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
9. Black-chinned Hummingbird
10. Black-capped Chickadee**
Elsewhere
11. Song Sparrow (v)
12. American Robin
13. House Sparrow (v)
14. California Quail
15. European Starling
16, Eurasian Collared-dove
17, Lesser Goldfinch
Mammals
Rock Squirrel
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American robin, blac-blled magpie, black-capped chickadee, black-chnned hummingbird, black-headed grosbeak, blue-gray gnatcatcher, California quail, Eurasian collared dove, European starling, house finc, house sparrow, lazuli bunting, lesser goldfinch, rock pigeon, rock squirrel, song sparrow, spotted towhee, Woodhouse’s scrub jay
