This morning’s hike—much shorter than yesterday—was cool and sweet and fruitful (with somewhat cleaner air). Fun and unusual birds (including two species of swallow). Dog and I enjoyed it a lot. Still puzzling over hummingbirds however.
In particular, I’m having trouble distinguishing between various species of female/immature hummers. I thought I had Broad-tailed Hummingbirds down—but then I had an expert point out that two of my broad-tail photos actually showed Calliope Hummingbirds. What’s more, both birds look an awful like female Rufous Hummingbirds.
You have to take in consideration things like: overall size, beak length, short or longer tails, wing length compared with tail length, location of ruddy colored feathers, wider feathers, shiny feathers. I feel confident I can tell the sound of a broad-tails wingbeats (also black-chins’)—but so much is still a mystery.
You might thing it’s frustrating—but no. Just my latest birding challenge.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 7:27 a.m. (8:17 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
This morning with Jack on the semi-cool trails, under semi-smoky skies, I found myself—after a nice hike among hummingbirds, doves, corvids, towhees, et al—wishing to encounter a surprise. Then, although of course I was thinking of an unusual bird, I thought of how surprises can bring good news or bad news. Like a bird, say, or an angry mountain lion.
But within a minute of having this wish, a Brewer’s Sparrow popped up into a little snag within a few feet of the trail—and posed.
Good news.
[New estimate on the size of the Parleys Canyon Fire: 529 acres. At this writing, it’s 21 percent contained.]
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 7:08 a.m. (8:08 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
Dry and hazy and early—even eerie, what with the dimness from the crazy haze. Bad air, I suspect (the basin fills with particulates some days), but eerie for sure.
However, birds. And an interesting assortment. Dragonflies and bee flies and a “cow killer” (tiny little velvet ant) and a squirrel. Gnatcatchers, buntings and the rest. Different species hanging out together. Eerie.
But I love this eerie day.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 6:31 a.m. (7:31 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
