High 20s (F) when dog and I hit the trail this morning. The sky was cloudless, though, so I knew that warmth would come soon—as soon as we climbed out of the mountain shade.
Plenty of birds about, including a Red-breasted Nuthatch (heard), lots of robins, and flickers behaving territorially. In fact, I got a great look at a display I’d never seen before: three male flickers together in one tree, one perched higher, and the other two going through an occasional head-bobbing, tail-flaring wicka-wicka-wicka dance, repeated multiple times (with a pause in between).
Finally the two youngsters (I’m assuming here) fluttered away, leaving the original male to his perch—and, presumably, territory.
Spring’s so full of sweet mysteries.
Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 9 a.m., I hiked a couple hundred feet up the mountain.
1. American Robin*
2. House Finch** (v)
3. Black-billed Magpie*
4. Black-capped Chickadee
5. Northern Flicker
6. Eastern Towhee
7. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay
8. Lesser Goldfinch (v)
9. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v)
10. Dark-eyed Junco
11. Sharp-shinned Hawk
Elsewhere
12. Song Sparrow (v)
13. Eurasian Collared Dove (v)
14. European Starling
Mammals
Mule Deer
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
