We got to the trailhead about ten minutes later this morning than usual. By design, kind of. I wondered if a later start might lead to more action than a hike mostly in the mountain shade.
Right away, the action was pretty great—within about five minutes, I had several species, including a nuthatch, two titmice, a Mountain Chickadee, and a female Downy Woodpecker (later found the male in his usual patch). But then things settled down for much of the rest of the hike.
Until the last hundred yards or so, which brought a flurry of activity: juncos, a Cooper’s Hawk, a singing Townsend’s Solitaire, and two finch species.
Honestly, I doubt the later start had anything to do with it. Still a fun day, though.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 8:40 a.m. (MST), I hiked several hundred feet up a mountain.
A quiet hike with Jack this morning for the fourth or fifth straight day. Saw the daily Downy Woodpecker again—always a thrill—but the usual suspects otherwise.
This afternoon, though, as I was about to step out onto the deck to scan for backyard birds, through the window I noticed a starling dining on an old apple. Two, three starlings, in fact. So I eased open the door a crack and snapped way too many photos of the nearest bird. (Starlings look so cool in the sunlight.)
Seems you can always find something cool if you keep your eyes open.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 8:26 a.m. (MST), I hiked several hundred feet up a mountain.
A bit warmer this morning, mostly cloudless again, but with a breeze. Dog and I had a lovely hike—mostly in the mountain shade. Saw and/or heard a bunch of birds, but had very few photo ops.
Getting pretty familiar with the little male Downy Woodpecker whom we meet in the burnt patch nearly every morning. Yesterday, he seemed a little pissed that w hung around so longed and finally tired of our company, but today it seemed preoccupied with the job of excavating charred scrub oak trunks.
Later, I a glimpse of a Juniper Titmouse (another familiar bid).
Hard to believe tomorrow will be December already.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 8:21 a.m. (MST), I hiked several hundred feet up a mountain.
