A nice cool breezy shady early morning hike with dog. So cool and breezy and shady that, on something of a lark, I took a turn up the gully trail, and we continued right straight up the the ridge overlooking Millcreek Canyon.
Few clouds to start. Few birds, too. Still a bunch of hummingbirds, although it was hard to get a good look in the early shade.) But I did get a rare look at a kestrel on a rock and a raven, and heard the voices of a couple of hawks. Plus, we had some lovely views from a height.
A surprise rain shower got us a little wet on the way down—but that was nothing compared a big ol’ thunderstorm that blew through tonight.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 7:27 a.m. (8:27 MDT), I hiked 1,200-plus feet up a mountain.
Woke up this early morning to the sound of thunder and rain. Aaaaahhhh.
Waited for a passing shower, so Jack and I got to the trailhead pretty late, where we enjoyed cool air, wet foliage, interesting wildlife activity, and walking in sweet, sweet mud.
The rain caused change. The atmosphere had completely change—damp, fragrant, different. Saw a living snail among the empty shells. And encountered an amazing fly hatch—wispy-winged flies rising like smoke, driving the little birds to distraction. Watched a bunting feed flies to a young one. Watched gnatcatchers catch ’em. Watched the flies themselves float through the air like some kind of earthly daylight constellation.
Another thing that happened involved the resident Cooper’s Hawks. While ascending the leafy gully, I heard the call of a young bird (possibly the only young bird, as I can’t remember hearing more than one at a time), then the ki-ki-ki-ki-ki! of an adult. We hurried up to a place where I could scan the hillsided. Just as I turned to look around, the adult took flight again and landed on a branch not far above us. Slowly, I lifted my camera—and the hawk too wing again. So I had to grab a photo of it crouching, pretty well camouflaged, in a tree.
More rain possible tonight. We shall see.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 7:30 a.m. (8:30 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
This series of hot spring days continues. Soon they’ll be hot summer days. In fact, it’s seemed a lot like summer this past week or so. Dog and I started up the trail early enough to beat the heat, had an interesting hike—and later enjoyed the afternoon at home.
One bit of drama in the side yard: Robins from multiple nearby nests ganged up noisily on a magpie that apparently had snagged a nestling. The magpie hid in some ground cover on the shady side of the neighbor’s house as at least eight or ten robins charged and hollered and fluttered around in a panic. Only got a glimpse of the magpie. It had some down in its bill (Young magpie gotta eat, too, I guess.)
A solo Turkey Vulture flapping up the basin rather typified this “summer” day.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 7:02 a.m. (8:02 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
