The temperature dipped last night, so dog and I enjoyed a brisk, bracing hike. The usually species, mostly—including a young Mountain Cottontail—but my first batch of juncos sparked my interest. They seemed a little more upset with our approach than usual (usually they flit away). I tried to keep track, hoping for a photo.
Saw movement in a juniper ahead of us, pointed my camera in that direction, and saw a cool-looking unfamiliar bird. Some kind of very small hawk or owl. My first Utah owl. I had no idea what it was. I thought perhaps a saw-whet (which species I’ve heard but not seen in person), but the tail seemed too long. Got a bunch of pics and figured I’d look it up when we got back home.
Which I did. My first-ever Northern Pygmy Owl. A tiny terror.
Been a while since I’ve had a lifer. I’ve saved the memory of its sighting for recall in the future.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 8:17 a.m. (MST), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
Calm today, and chilly. Birds were active again—and the towhees were out again.
Not many photo ops (in fact, most birds on my list were heard, not seen), but a nice variety. Most interesting, arguably, were the geese I heard while down in Coyote Canyon, where I had only a glimpse of a sliver of sky. (All I can say for sure is there were more than one.)
The sky was nice, though, as was the company of the best dog of all time.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 8:16 a.m. (MST), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Black-capped Chickadee** 2. Northern Flicker** (v) 3. Spotted Towhee 4. American Robin** (v) 5. American Goldfinch (v) 6. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay 7. Black-billed Magpie** 8. Pine Siskin (v) 9. House Finch* 10. Ruby-crowned Kinglet (v) 12. Canada Goose (v) 13. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 14. Song Sparrow** (v)
Elsewhere
15. Rock Pigeon 16. Mourning Dove
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Some warmer this morning. Still muddy (reminding me of Maine), and with quite a few bird species right away. Ten species after about ten minutes, in fact—then no more for about an hour or so.
But a couple more toward the end (both heard only). Two corvids, four finches, two chickadees, two sparrows, a thrush, and a woodpecker.
All in all, a lovely hike with dog.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 8:18 a.m. (MST), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Black-billed Magpie 2. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay 3. Spotted Towhee 4. House Finch** 5. American Robin (v) 6. Dark-eyed Junco* 7. Pine Siskin (v) 8. Northern Flicker 9. American Goldfinch 10. Black-capped Chickadee 11. Lesser Goldfinch** 12. Mountain Chickadee (v)
Elsewhere
13. Rock Pigeon 14. European Starling
Mammals
Mountain Cottontail Red Squirrel (v)
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
