A windy night last night, and down around freezing this morning. I didn’t head up to the trailhead with dog until 8 o’clock (9 DST)—and still the wind was howling.
But once we got up under the ridges, the air calmed, and the sun warmed us—and a list I expected to comprise five or six species ended up with eleven. The usual suspects, true, and not in great numbers. But I got to see a courtship ritual between a pair of Woodhouse’s Scrub-jays: the male appeared with a bit of nest fluff (more like a hair or filament) and delivered it to the female. Really rather touching.
Only a week or so before new arrivals come.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 8 a.m. (9 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
Quite a few bird species showed up on my hike with Jack this morning, but none so unexpected as the female House Sparrow I spotted on a little scrub oak snag overlooking the neighborhood. Pretty sure that’s the first of this species I’ve seen along the deer trails.
Also saw a deer on those trails (again, we got close without spooking it), and a raven, the resident pair of Cooper’s Hawks, and a chickadee inspecting a potential nest hole. Heard Chukars and a titmouse and a siskin.
We visited with three pair of hiking friends, too (and their dogs). All in all, a pleasant Sunday morning.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 7:29 a.m. (8:29 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. American Robin** 2. Song Sparrow** (v) 3. Spotted Towhee 4. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay 5. Rock Pigeon* 6. Black-capped Chickadee 7. Northern Flicker 8. House Finch* 9. Chukar (v) 10. Black-billed Magpie* 11. House Sparrow** 12. Common Raven 13. Juniper Titmouse (v) 14. Cooper’s Hawk 15. Pine Siskin (v)
Elsewhere
16. Eurasian Collared-dove
Mammals
Mountain Cottontail Mule Deer Rock Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Another cloudless morning. Nippier than yesterday, but despite that feeling more like spring. And with another interesting selection of bird species. (Also a few deer.)
Most unusual (to me) was a pair of Mallards that flew over. Pretty sure they were the first ducks I’ve seen out here. They circled once and sped away in the direction of Great Salt Lake (and other bodies of water down in the basin). Also a pair of Cooper’s Hawks, a whole bunch of robins, and a couple of Juniper Titmice.
On our return Jack and I encountered three parties with dogs—two being genuine parties, as a couple of groups of dogs being walked got together.
A fun time was had by all.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 7:32 a.m. (8:32 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
