After yesterday’s big ol’ blue-sky climb, dog and I enjoyed this morning’s hazy, cooler, shorter hike. Birds included a couple kinglets (that I couldn’t track down), the voice of a Cooper’s Hawk (which I couldn’t lay eyes on), and a pair of low-flying, newly arriving vultures.
Noteworthy: nesting activity. The hawks are back in the vicinity of their nest; watched a pair of chickadees cleaning out a cavity; back at home, robins are collecting big beakfuls of straw.
Grass is green, little green leaves are coming out, butterflies are flitting around. Supposed to be chilly for a few days yet—but spring don’t care.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 7:58 a.m., sun time, I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. American Robin* 2. House Finch* (v) 3. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay 4. Rock Pigeon* 5. Spotted Towhee** 6. Northern Flicker* 7. Pine Siskin (v) 8. Black-capped Chickadee 9. Ruby-crowned Kinglet (v) 10. Cooper’s Hawk (v) 11. Turkey Vulture 12. Lesser Goldfinch*
Elsewhere
13. House Sparrow (v) 14. California Quail (v) 15. Black-billed Magpie (v)
Mammals
Mule Deer
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
A morning much like yesterday’s, except entirely cloudless and a little bit warmer. Dry trails. And spring still wafting in the air.
No surprising migrants yet, but more kinglets, and another Steller’s Jay (voice only). A cottontail. Several deer still. Singers: towhees, kinglets, house finches, chickadees. Surprised a wild dove up in the foothills.
Tomorrow’s supposed to hit the 70s (F). Kinda looking forward to it.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 7:58 a.m., sun time, I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay** 2. American Robin* 3. Rock Pigeon* 4. House Finch* (v) 5. Spotted Towhee 6. Pine Siskin (v) 7. Song Sparrow* (v) 8. Northern Flicker 9. Black-capped Chickadee 10. Ruby-crowned Kinglet 11. Steller’s Jay (v) 12. Mourning Dove
The temperature had risen to a nippy 33 degrees by the time Captain Jack and I began our hike this bright, clear morning. I wore a scarf, as there was a bit of a breeze. Wasn’t sure we’d encounter a lot of wildlife—but we sure enough did: fifteen bird species and sixteen deer.
Noteworthy among the birds was a Steller’s Jay, a solitary vulture, and two Cooper’s Hawks—clearly a male and female, and apparently the mating pair that’s occupied the nest above little Coyote Canyon for two years.
As I suspected, pretty much all the snow from yesterday was gone, and the trails were dry. Gonna warm up again in the comping days, too.
Kinda excited to see what spring migrants drop by.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 7:58 a.m., sun time, I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. American Robin* 2. Spotted Towhee 3. House Finch* 4. Rock Pigeon* 5. Pine Siskin** 6. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay 7. Dark-eyed Junco 8. Black-capped Chickadee 9. Ruby-crowned Kinglet 10. Common Raven (v) 11. Steller’s Jay 12. Cooper’s Hawk 13. Turkey Vulture 14. Song Sparrow* (v) 15. Black-billed Magpie**
