Showers forecast for this morning, but no rain had fallen when dog and I arrived at the trailhead. An odd morning, though—chilly, mostly overcast, and relatively quiet, bird-wise. Southerly breezes were herding the clouds along, but not much in the way of obvious migration.
Saw a hawk but couldn’t ID it. Heard a couple odd songs/calls but couldn’t spot their sources. Chased a vireo but couldn’t catch it. Saw what I thought was a titmouse but couldn’t confirm.
Finally did get a pic of a flycatcher. They’re always hard to identify, but this one (like another I’d caught a glimpse of earlier) had a distinctive whit! note. Plus, it pumped its tail a bit. Later, on consulting allaboutbirds.org, I placed the note, the tail-pump, and the general field marks—short primaries making the tail look longer, white eye-ring visible especially behind the eye—and am pleased to call it my second Dusky Flycatcher of spring.
Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 7:38 a.m. (8:38 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Black-capped Chickadee (v)
2. Lazuli Bunting
3. American Robin*
4. Spotted Towhee
5. Black-headed Grosbeak
6. Mourning Dove
7. Black-billed Magpie*
9. Black-chinned Hummingbird
8. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
15. Warbling Vireo
11. House Finch**
10. Accipiter (sp.—prob. Cooper’s Hawk)
12. Orange-crowned Warbler
13. Chipping Sparrow
14. Dusky Flycatcher
16. Black-throated Gray Warbler (v)
Elsewhere
17. Song Sparrow (v)
18. Rock Pigeon
19. Eurasian Collared-dove
20. California Quail
Mammals
Red Squirrel
Rock Squirrel
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
