The first bird I heard this morning was a Northern Flicker. First flicker for months, I’d say. Unexpected.
Before long, I spied a quiet bird in a scrub oak: a Rock Wren. First of that species I’ve ever seen that wasn’t perched on a rock. Coincidentally, the next new species I saw was a House Wren. (So few wrens around here, I thought for a while it was the other wren following dog and me around.) Talk about unexpected.
Some time later, I spied a tiny batch of warblers following a vocal pod of chickadees (as warblers are wont to do when roaming). I assumed the first I took a photo of was a Virginia’s Warbler. Only when I looked at the photos later did I notice it was a Nashville Warbler—first in Utah. (At least I assume they have a full yellow belly here as they do back East.) Did not expect that.
Fact is, it was so quiet to start this morning that I sure didn’t expect my species list to reach 15.
Grandeur Peak Area List
At 7:06 a.m. (8:06 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Northern Flicker (v)
2. House Finch*
3. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay
4. Rock Pigeon
5. Eurasian Collared-dove*
6. Red-tailed Hawk
7. Black-chinned Hummingbird
8. Spotted Towhee
9. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
10. Rock Wren
11. House Wren
12. Black-capped Chickadee
13. Nashville Warbler
14. Orange-crowned Warbler
15. American Goldfinch (v)
Elsewhere
16. Black-billed Magpie
17. Lesser Goldfinch
Mammals
Red Squirrel
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
Tags: American goldfinch, black-billed magpie, black-capped chickadee, black-chinned hummingbird, blue-gray gnatcatcher, Eurasian collared dove, house finch, house wren, lesser goldfinch, Nashville warbler, northern flicker, Orange-crowned Warbler, red squirrel, red-tailed hawk, rock pigeon, rock wren, spotted towhee, Woodhouse’s scrub jay
