Overcast, with a forecast of showers. And warm—about 50° (F). I expected showers, but none came. However, I didn’t expect a couple of first-of-year sightings.
Birds were pretty active, though furtive. Dog and I took a trip down into the thicket, following the voices of chickadees. What with yesterday’s unseasonably warm temps (71°, I believe, which tied a record for the date), I expected no deer, but we encountered a half dozen or so down there. As I was angling for a photo, I heard the voice of a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. No photo of the bird, but I did get a glimpse.
Also got a glimpse of a cottontail and—another FOY critter—a Rock Squirrel. Had nearly forgotten about those guys.
I love a nice overcast day.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 08:48 MST, I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. House Finch* 2. American Robin* 3. Pine Siskin 4. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay* 5. Dark-eyed Junco 6. Black-capped Chickadee 7. Ruby-crowned Kinglet† 8. Black-billed Magpie 9. Northern Flicker 10. Spotted Towhee 11. Rock Pigeon
Elsewhere
12. House Sparrow (v) 13. European Starling 14. Lesser Goldfinch (v) 15. Song Sparrow
Mammals
Rock Squirrel† Mule Deer Mountain Cottontail
(v) Voice only * Also Elsewhere **Voice only Elsewhere †First-of-year
Basically, a balmy day. Still a teeny bit of slick ice on the shady switchback, but otherwise, straight-up muddy trails from rapidly melting snow. Fifty degrees (F) when dog and I started up.
Fun birds, too—plenty of the usual suspects, along with a collared-dove sighting below the bluff, and a male quail above the little Monarch Quarry.
Didn’t think we’d encounter many deer, but we encountered more than a dozen. Also encountered a solitary cottontail along our usual return route way up in the juniper barrens.
Tomorrow won’t be so balmy, though, and the weekend’s supposed to bring snow.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 08:42 MST, I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. House Finch* 2. American Robin* 3. Dark-eyed Junco 4. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay* 5. Black-billed Magpie 6. Pine Siskin (v) 7. California Quail 8. Rock Pigeon* 9. Eurasian Collared-dove* 10. Lesser Goldfinch** (v) 11. Northern Flicker* 12. Spotted Towhee** 13. Black-capped Chickadee
Elsewhere
14. House Sparrow 15. Song Sparrow (v) 16. European Starling 17. Mourning Dove
Mammals
Mule Deer Mountain Cottontail
(v) Voice only * Also Elsewhere **Voice only Elsewhere
Wore a sweatshirt on this morning’s hike with dog, thinking—what with the forecast—I might not need it. Sure enough, within about 15 minutes, I took it off and tied it around my waist.
A lovely hike. A lot fewer deer (two) but plenty of singing towhees (and chickadees and juncos and finches and more). Six towhees today, about half of them singing, and in all the familiar nesting places—wild rises and such. Three species of finch. And, for the second morning, a nice hopeful feeling about goodness in this crazy world.
Impending spring will do that for you, I guess.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 08:40 MST, I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. American Robin** 2. Black-capped Chickadee** 3. Pine Siskin (v) 4. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay 5. Dark-eyed Junco 6. Rock Pigeon* 7. House Finch 8. Song Sparrow* (v) 9. Lesser Goldfinch** 10. Spotted Towhee* 11. Black-billed Magpie*
Elsewhere
12. Northern Flicker (v) 13. House Sparrow (v) 14. European Starling 15. Eurasian Collared-dove (v)
Mammals
Mule Deer
(v) Voice only * Also Elsewhere **Voice only Elsewhere
