The temperature this early morning was cool enough—60s (F)—that, soon after dog and I started up the trail, I thought this might be a good time to hike up to the cairn ridge again finally. So that’s what we did.
The air was humid and smoky, which wasn’t ideal, but the resident bird nests have let loose plenty of fledglings, which makes for a good time: towhees, buntings, hummingbirds, hawk, gnatcatchers, a little dove. Notable today was the voice of a Downy Woodpecker, and Broad-tailed Hummingbird that decided to pose for a photo.
Long hike, high hike, good hike—and nobody fell down while descending.
Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 7:06 a.m. (8:06 MDT), I hiked about 1,000 feet up a mountain.
1. House Finch**
2. Lazuli Bunting
3. Lesser Goldfinch* (v)
4. Black-chinned Hummingbird
5. Downy Woodpecker (v)
6. Mourning Dove
7. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay (v)
8. Rock Pigeon*
9. Black-billed Magpie* (v)
10. Spotted Towhee
11. Black-capped Chickadee (v)
12. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
13. Chipping Sparrow
14.Broad-tailed Hummingbird*
15. Cooper’s Hawk
Elsewhere
16. California Quail
Mammals
Red Squirrel
Mountain Cottontail
Rock Squirrel
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: blac-billed magpie, black-capped chickadeed, black-chinned hummingbird, blue-gray gnatcatcher, California quail, chipping sparrow broad-tailed hummingbird, cooper's hawk, downy woodpecker, house finch, lazuli bunting, lesser goldfinch, mountain cottontail, mourning dove, red squirrel, rock pigeon, rock squirrel, spotted towhee, Woodhouse’s scrub jay
