Got up the trails earlier this morning. Thundershowers were possible, so we took advantage of the clear conditions, dog an I. And did not encounter many birds at all. Few species, few individuals. And only one that posed for a photo.
It was a scrub-jay—a scrub-jay that looked rather like an old bird, with a long white beard.
Other than running into trail pals (human and dog), it turned out to be a rather unremarkable late summer morning. (Would’ve been more remarkable had we not beat a thundershower back to the truck.)
Grandeur Peak Area List At 7:06 a.m. (8:06 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
Began today’s hike in the cool mountain shade, ended it in the warm mid-morning sun. Lots of birds in between (also three mammals)—among them a few less common species. Saw my second American Goldfinch of the year, for one thing.
I also missed a few IDs on the fly—e.g., thought sure I was watching a tanager fly far across the landscape, when it turned out (I saw from a distant photo) to be a grosbeak. And there was no chippy in with a little flock of Brewer’s Sparrows.
Fun hike.
(I missed a few sightings, though, I bet, from hiking a little early (too shady), so we might hit the trail a little later tomorrow.)
Grandeur Peak Area List At 7:03 a.m. (8:03 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
Ah, a lovely cool breezy cloudless morning. The air tasted cleaner than in at least two or three weeks. And there were birds about.
Tanager, swallow, sparrow, three finch species—and a random pair of Cooper’s Hawks, youngsters, circling together, play-fighting, silently diving and dodging.
Playfulness a fulfilling life makes.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 7:09 a.m. (8:09 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. House Finch* 2. Black-chinned Hummingbird 3. Rock Pigeon* 4. Pine Siskin (v) 5. Western Tanager 6. Spotted Towhee 7. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay 8. Mourning Dove 9. Black-billed Magpie** 10. Violet-green Swallow 11. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 12. Chipping Sparrow 13. Black-capped Chickadee 14. Broad-tailed Hummingbird 15. Cooper’s Hawk 16. Lesser Goldfinch (v)
Mammals
Rock Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
