The temperature this early morning was cool enough—60s (F)—that, soon after dog and I started up the trail, I thought this might be a good time to hike up to the cairn ridge again finally. So that’s what we did.
The air was humid and smoky, which wasn’t ideal, but the resident bird nests have let loose plenty of fledglings, which makes for a good time: towhees, buntings, hummingbirds, hawk, gnatcatchers, a little dove. Notable today was the voice of a Downy Woodpecker, and Broad-tailed Hummingbird that decided to pose for a photo.
Long hike, high hike, good hike—and nobody fell down while descending.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 7:06 a.m. (8:06 MDT), I hiked about 1,000 feet up a mountain.
This morning was coool. Both figuratively and literally. Temps in the upper-60s (F) for much of our hike—most all of it, in fact, until we emerged in the sun on the deer trail on our return, dog and I. Moreover, some cool wild stuff showed up.
Mountain Cottontail.
More than the usual number of birds were out enjoying the coolness as we headed up the switchback. (The usual suspects, but still.) I wondered if a cottontail might take advantage of the cool shade—and there it was, a bunny in the grass. On up the trail flitted bird families (as evidenced by the slight chips of youngsters and bright chips of their parents). Saw tracks in the dry dust of what appeared to be a quail.
Coming up lush little Coyote Canyon, I heard a singing vireo—and the sudden cry of a Cooper’s Hawk. Soon after we turned onto the deer trail, I heard it again. Then two—what sounded like a fledgling, and the other an adult. Out came the adult, calling ki-ki-ki-ki-ki! (Trying to get the fledgling to fly, was my guess). Then it posed for a photo.
If this morning’s hike were a short movie, I’d watch it again.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 6:37 a.m. (7:37 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
Another dry, breezy morning without a lot or singing birds. The residents have nests, seems sure, and a few species are still moving through.
For instance, the first-of-year Western Kingbird we happened upon, dog and I. Heard it first, didn’t recognize its voice—I haven’t encountered more than a handful, and only one or two in spring—then managed a photo from a distance. Six vultures circled through also. The rest (of only fourteen spp. total) were locals.
In other news, for the second straight day I watched a pair of gnatcatchers chase a scrub-jay from its perch in the big Russian olive tree.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 7:09 a.m. (8:09 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
