Golden Eagle stooping, East Millcreek, Salt Lake City, Utah, 27 September 2020.
Nippy this morning, with a breeze. Got me thinking I might find some migration activity on the trail with dog. And I did: several Yellow-rumped Warblers, a random Dark-eyed Junco, bunch of towhees still, and a first-of-fall Ruby-crowned Kinglet.
Also a couple raptors today. Spied a pair of Golden Eagles between our trail and the (still burning) Neff’s Canyon fire, and at the end of our hike, a kestrel appeared out of nowhere and headed east toward higher elevations.
I do love fall migration.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 8:18 a.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay 2. American Robin** 3. Spotted Towhee** 4. Black-capped Chickadee 5. Dark-eyed Junco 6. Northern Flicker 7. House Finch* 8. Yellow-rumped Warbler 9. Ruby-crowned Kinglet 10. Pine Siskin 11. Golden Eagle 12. American Kestrel
Elsewhere
14. Eurasian Collared Dove (v) 15. Black-billed Magpie 16. Rock Pigeon
Mammals
Red Squirrel (v)
v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Encountered another Rock Wren this morning—on a quiet but fun (they’re all fun) hike with dog—but this was the first I’ve seen that wasn’t in the little abandoned quarry atop the bluff. Far afield, in fact.
And it participated in the most serene moment of our excursion, in fact: I’d taken some photos of the wren when a hummingbird flew up and hovered a few seconds about two feet from my face. (“Well, hello, there,” I said.)
And after that we just stood there, Jack and I, in the presence (at a little distance) of a Rock Wren.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 8:16 a.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay 2. Black-capped Chickadee 3. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 4. American Kestrel 5. Spotted Towhee 6. House Finch* 7. Broad-tailed Hummingbird 8. Rock Wren 9. Black-billed Magpie* 10. Northern Flicker
On this slightly cloudy, breezy morning’s hike with my dog Jack, we encountered a little falcon called American Kestrel. I encountered the usual birds we encounter on these beloved hikes of ours. And near the end of our hike, I spied a lovely brown bird called Vesper Sparrow.
Most folks seem enthralled with bright-colored, fancy birds—like the ostentatious males of many species. I’ve come to love the subtler visual beauty of the less flashy birds. When I got a look at this Vesper Sparrow through my camera, I whispered aloud, “So beautiful.”
Great Basin Gopher Snake.
This morning we also encountered my first snake in my year-plus in Utah: a Great Basin Gopher Snake. It was kinda beautiful, too.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 7:56 a.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
