Another coolish morning (60s (F) when we hit the trailhead, dog and I) under a partial overcast that would eventually lead to a mostly sunny day. Mostly the usual suspects, bird-wise—excepting the third bird on my list, a young Sharp-shinned Hawk, and the second-to-last, a Brewer’s Sparrow.
The Brewer’s was a highlight. When I heard its song coming from the scrub habitat above us, I first assumed it was a chippie—until I realized its typical trill had begun with a shorter trill at a higher pitch. Stopped me in my tracks. Scanned the scrub and (by some stroke of luck) managed to spy the little sparrow perched in on a twig maybe 75 yards away. Thanks to my trusty superzoom, I managed to confirm my suspicion after downloading the photos.
And this hot dry summer’s just begun.
Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 7:14 a.m. (8:14 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Rock Pigeon*
2. Lazuli Bunting
3. Sharp-shinned Hawk
4. Spotted Towhee
5. Black-chinned Hummingbird
6. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay (v)
7. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
8. Black-capped Chickadee
9. House Finch**
10. American Robin*
11. Warbling Vireo (v)
12. Black-headed Grosbeak (v)
13. Black-billed Magpie* (v)d
14. Brewer’s Sparrow
15. Pine Siskin (v)
Elsewhere
16. Song Sparrow
17. Eurasian Collared-dove
18. California Quail
Mammals
Red Squirrel
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American robin, black-billed magpie, black-capped chickadee, black-chinned hummingbird, black-headed grosbeak, blue-gray gnatcatcher, Brewer’s sparrow, house finch, lazuli bunting, pine siskin, rock pigeon, sharp-shinned hawk, spotted towhee, warbling vireo, Woodhouse’s scrub jay
