For the fourth straight day, I saw a first-of-year bird on my morning hike with dog. Today’s bird—whose chip note I mistook for a yellow-rump’s at first—was a Black-throated Gray Warbler. Also spied the gnatcatcher again (which I assume is the same bird, since it’s unusually early for the species.
Otherwise, two hawks (Cooper’s and a redtail), were noteworthy, as well as a little herd of deer apparently spooked up the trail by a hiker.
Four days before we take off for Maine, Captain Jack and me. A lot to do yet, but we’ll manage somehow—along with our daily hike).
Grandeur Peak Area List At 7:46 a.m., sun time, I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2. American Robin* 3. Song Sparrow** 4. Spotted Towhee 5. Pine Siskin** 6. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 7. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 8. House Finch* 9. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay 10. Rock Pigeon* 11. California Quail* (v) 12. Cooper’s Hawk 13. Black-throated Gray Warbler 14. Red-tailed Hawk
Elsewhere
15. Eurasian Collared-dove 16. House Sparrow 17. Lesser Goldfinch `18. European Starling 19. American Kestrel
Mammals
Mule Deer
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Toward the end of my lovely, even warmer (albeit earlier) morning hike with dog, I still had only seven species on my list. Perhaps it was the dryness, or the earlier hour, or both, but most of the wildlife activity involved deer—about twenty of them roaming quite near us.
Then I spied the Rock Wren. Just yesterday, I’m pretty sure, I wondered when I’d see one by the old Monarch Quarry—and this one popped up quite near that hole. Every migration I see them there. First-of-year bird.
Then, coming down the switchback, I spied a kestrel, headed north. And then I heard the call of a collared-dove.
Tomorrow should similarly, unseasonably warm. What new bird will I see?
Grandeur Peak Area List At 7:30 a.m., sun time, I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Spotted Towhee 2. American Robin* 3. House Finch* 4. Rock Pigeon 5. Black-capped Chickadee** (v) 6. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay** 7. Northern Flicker** 8. Rock Wren† 9. American Kestrel 10. Eurasian Collared-dove**
Elsewhere
14. Lesser Goldfinch (v) 15. Black-billed Magpie (v) 16. European Starling 17. Song Sparrow (v)
Mammals
Mule Deer
(v) Voice only *Also Elsewhere **Voice only Elsewhere
Another lovely morning hike with Captain Jack. Nippy to start again, comfortable at the end. Much of the recent snow has gone, and the excitement builds for spring happenings.
Birds about, the usual pre-spring suspects. The most interesting encounter began with the whine of a towhee. I stopped on the trail, Jack did likewise. A moment later, the source of the whine flitted up to a twig ahead of us about ten yards. Snapped off a couple photos—and then the bird flew straight in our direction, touching down within feet of me. I had to back off the zoom a bit to focus.
Just a hint of fun birding things to come.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 8 a.m. (9 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. American Robin* (v) 2. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay** 3. Pine Siskin 4. Northern Flicker* (v) 5. Rock Pigeon* 6. House Finch* 7. Black-capped Chickadee 8. Spotted Towhee 9. Black-billed Magpie** 10. Dark-eyed Junco 11. Song Sparrow** (v)
Elsewhere
12. House Sparrow (v) 13. European Starling 14. American Kestrel
Mammals
Mule Deer
(v) Voice only *Also Elsewhere **Voice only Elsewhere
