Began today’s hike in the cool mountain shade, ended it in the warm mid-morning sun. Lots of birds in between (also three mammals)—among them a few less common species. Saw my second American Goldfinch of the year, for one thing.
I also missed a few IDs on the fly—e.g., thought sure I was watching a tanager fly far across the landscape, when it turned out (I saw from a distant photo) to be a grosbeak. And there was no chippy in with a little flock of Brewer’s Sparrows.
Fun hike.
(I missed a few sightings, though, I bet, from hiking a little early (too shady), so we might hit the trail a little later tomorrow.)
Grandeur Peak Area List
At 7:03 a.m. (8:03 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Black-chinned Hummingbird
2. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay**
3. Spotted Towhee
4. Downy Woodpecker (v)
5. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
6. Lazuli Bunting
7. American Goldfinch
8. Black-billed Magpie*
9. Bullock’s Oriole
10. Broad-tailed Hummingbird
11. Black-capped Chickadee
12. House Finch* (v)
13. Black-headed Grosbeak
14. Pine Siskin (v)
15. Brewer’s sparrow
16. Lesser Goldfinch* (v)
Elsewhere
17. Eurasian Collared-dove
18. Rock Pigeon
Mammals
Mountain Cottontail
Rock Squirrel
Red Squirrel
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American goldfinch, black-billd magpie, black-capped chickadee, black-chinned hummingbird, black-headed grosbeak, blue-gray gnatcatcher, Brewer’s sparrow, broad-tailed hummingbird, Bullock’s oriole, downy woodpecker, Eurasian collared dove, house finch, lazuli bunting, lesser goldfinch, mountain cottontail, mule deer red squirrel, pine siskin, rock pigeon, rock squirrel, spotted towhee, Woodhouse’s scrub jay
