A chilly morning with a hazy sun, my best dog friend, and a nice gang of interesting birds.
The most interesting I heard before I saw it: Shook-shook-shook-shook-shook! It’s a call I didn’t know until I moved out here to the Mountain West, but I recognized it at once as a Steller’s Jay. There were four of them, flapping about in the scrub oaks near the bluff. I see them rarely, photograph them more rarely, but one of these was obliging.
And I am grateful.
Grandeur Peak Area List
At 8:54 a.m. (9:54 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. House Finch**
2. Pine Siskin
3. Dark-eyed Junco
4. Northern Flicker
5. American Robin
6. Black-capped Chickadee
7. Yellow-rumped Warbler
8. Downy Woodpecker
9. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay (v)
10. Black-billed Magpie** (v)
11. Rock Pigeon*
12. Steller’s Jay
13. Spotted Towhee (v)
14. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Elsewhere
12. House Sparrow
13. European Starling
17. Song Sparrow
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American robin, black-billed magpie, black-capped chickadee, dark-eyed junco, downy woodpecker, European starling, house finch, house sparrow, northern flicker, pine siskin, rock pigeon, ruby-crowned kinglet, song sparrow, spotted towhee, Steller’s jay, Woodhouse’s scrub jay, yellow-rumped warbler
