One nice thing about hiking the same patch every day is getting to know the wildlife well—the individual birds, bird families, where they hang out, their calls, their habits. As rewarding, arguably, are the surprises.
Today’s surprises were: 1) a Eurasian Collared-dove perched on a wire usually occupied by a Mouning dove; 2) a cottontail far afield from where we usually encounter them, dog and I; 3) a random tanager showing up weeks after my last sighting.
Surprises are fun. And not uncommonly experience by the daily birder. (I’m tellin’ ya, birding improves your life.)
Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 6:36 a.m. (7:36 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Lazuli Bunting
2. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay (v)
3. Lesser Goldfinch**
4. Black-capped Chickadee (v)
5. House Finch*
6. Eurasian Collared-dove
7. Black-chinned Hummingbird
8. Hawk (sp.)
9. Mourning Dove
10. Black-headed Grosbeak
11. Rock Pigeon
12. Spotted Towhee
13. Black-billed Magpie**
14. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
15. Western Tanager
16. American Robin
Elsewhere
17. House Sparrow
18. California Quail
Mammals
Red Squirrel
Rock Squirrel
Mountain Cottontail
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American robinhouse sparrow, blac-capped chickadee, black-billed magpie, black-chinned hummingbird, black-headed grosbeak, blue-gray gnatcatcher, California quail, Eurasian collred dove, hawk, house finch, lazuli bunting, lesser goldfinch, mountain cottontail, mourning dove, red squirrel, rock pigeon, rock squirrel, spotted towhee, western tanager, Woodhouse’s scrub jay
