Cool in the shade this morning, and hot in the sun. Not as hot as it was this afternoon (mid- to upper-90s (F)), but we got to the trailhead early, dog and I, and had a quick hike. Slowed down on the shady stretches and sped up in the sunny ones.
Saw and/or heard quite a few birds. Got a photo of a gnatcatcher singing animatedly (as they all do). Out on a sunny twig, too, that little bird.
Might reach 100° tomorrow.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 7:02 a.m. (8:02 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Lazuli Bunting 2. American Robin 3. Black-capped Chickadee 4. Rock Pigeon 5. Black-chinned Hummingbird 6. Pine Siskin 7. Spotted Towhee 8. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 9. Violet-green Swallow 10. Black-headed Grosbeak 11. House Finch** 12. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay 13. Empidonax (sp.) 14. Chipping Sparrow (v) 15. Black-throated Gray Warbler (v) 16. Warbling Vireo 17. Black-billed Magpie 18. Song Sparrow* (v)
Elsewhere
19. Eurasian Collared-dove 20. California Quail 21. European Starling 22. Rock Picon
Mammals
Rock Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Headed to the trailhead a bit earlier this morning, considering the temp was eventually supposed to reach 90° (F) today. Cool in the shade, warm in the sun. (No clouds that I could see.) Despite this dry, dry landscape, there are birds to be seen.
E.g., a female Black-headed Grosbeak. A hard-to-spy Virginia Warbler. A few gnatcatchers and Mourning Doves. Also saw a snake of some kind (garter snake? racer?), an Eight-spotted Skimmer, and a Rock Squirrel.
Tomorrow’s high is supposed to be about 95°.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 7:11 a.m. (8:11 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
This bright Memorial Day morning, dog and I were alone on the deer trails for the first three quarters of our hike. Just us and the birds (and a rock squirrel) until other human started trickling up the sides of the sun-splashed foothills.
Of the good selection of species I spied, the funnest was a Brewer’s Sparrow. Only with the week did I hear my first Brewer’s Sparrow song, and it was pretty grand—then today’s bird decided to perform something of a symphony. A long collection of trills on different pitches and with varied lengths and flourishes.
My favorite part of the day, bird-wise. Then again, as a by-hear birder, I do love me some birdsong.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 7 a.m. (8 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
