Stayed up a little late last night. slept a little late, and hit the trails a little late. Overcast to start—but noticeably warmer. And not just a-half-hour-later-warmer. Summery warm.
Nonetheless, the birds were out: singing towhees, singing buntings, calling Cooper’s Hawks. Action enough to distract me enough that I miscounted the species I saw and heard. (Ended up with two more than I thought.) A dry but lovely day.
A check of the weather shows we can expect at least another ten straight summery days—even summerier.
Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 7:30 a.m. (8:30 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Lazuli Bunting
2. American Robin*
3. Spotted Towhee
4. House Finch**
5. Song Sparrow* (v)
6. Black-chinned Hummingbird
7. Rock Pigeon
8. Mourning Dove
9. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
10. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay
11. Black-headed Grosbeak
12. Warbling Vireo (v)
13. Black-capped Chickadee
14. Cooper’s Hawk
15. Black-billed Magpie* (v)
Elsewhere
16. California Quail
17. Red-tailed Hawk
18. Barn Swallow
19. Northern Flicker (v)
Mammals
Rock Squirrel
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American robin, barn swallow, black-billed magpie, black-capped chickadee, black-chinned hummingbird, black-headed grosbak, blue-gray gnatcatcher, California quail, Cooper’s hawk, house finch, lazuli bunting, mourning dove, northern flicker, red-tailed hawk, rock pigeon, rock squirrel, song sparrow, spotted towhee, warbling vireo, Woodhouse’s scrub-jay
