Cool, breezy, quiet hike this morning with dog. Secretive birds were laying low, and nothing too out-of-the-ordinary. Well, except for a random Yellow Warbler that I couldn’t manage to get a photo of.
Fewer hummingbirds, finches, scrub-jays—pretty much every species. Several IDs were by voice only.
What with all the environmental craziness, I wonder about early migration.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 7:15 a.m. (8:15 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
’Tis the season of juvies. Fresh, new baby birds, fledglings testing their wings. My morning hike with dog was a cool one, room temperature, mountain shade, little breeze. Almost felt like air-conditioning. A dozen species, not huge numbers.
But several juvies among them. Most fun to watch was a tiny Blue-gray Gnatcatcher fluttering and crying for food from its parents. Also immature buntings and finches. I’m sure others were out there, too, but laying low.
(It’s good to lay low during drought and heat wave.)
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 6:31 a.m. (7:31 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. American Robin* 2. Lazuli Bunting 3. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay 4. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 5. Rock Pigeon* 6. House Finch** 7. Black-chinned Hummingbird 8. Spotted Towhee 9. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 10. Mourning Dove (v) 11. Warbling Vireo (v) 12. Barn Swallow
Elsewhere
13. Eurasian Collared-dove 14. House Sparrow (v) 15. Black-billed Magpie 16. California Quail
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
This bright Memorial Day morning, dog and I were alone on the deer trails for the first three quarters of our hike. Just us and the birds (and a rock squirrel) until other human started trickling up the sides of the sun-splashed foothills.
Of the good selection of species I spied, the funnest was a Brewer’s Sparrow. Only with the week did I hear my first Brewer’s Sparrow song, and it was pretty grand—then today’s bird decided to perform something of a symphony. A long collection of trills on different pitches and with varied lengths and flourishes.
My favorite part of the day, bird-wise. Then again, as a by-hear birder, I do love me some birdsong.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 7 a.m. (8 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.