It’s a small story—on a day when dog and I encountered many deer on the mountainside, and I watched two mature bucks have a brief, dramatic encounter—but this afternoon I saw out my window an inspiring scene. A starling, perched on a small branch near a cavity in a dead section of an old tree, singing merrily.

(I didn’t hear its song, but I could see it singing.)

I watched for a while, until the bird popped into the hole, stayed a few seconds, then reappeared at its entrance with a large wad of straw in its beak. It proceeded to drop the straw out of the cavity. This repeated a few times. Clearly, the starling intended to claiming itself a home.

Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 10:30 a.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up the mountain.

1. Northern Flicker (v)
2. Black-capped Chickadee**
3. Lesser Goldfinch** (v)
4. Black-billed Magpie*
5. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay (v)
6. House Finch* (v)
7. Dark-eyed Junco

Elsewhere

8. American Robin
9. European Starling
10. House Sparrow

v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere