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.
A cool summer morning, with maybe one or two little clouds in the blue, blue sky. Kind of a bad air day, but that didn’t stop dog and I from making our usual rounds.
So many juvies! Towhees, buntings, hummingbirds, finches, hawk gnatcatchers—pretty much every resident species (those that decided to stick around despite the historic drought) has fledged a successful brood The only towhee I saw today was a young ’un, in fact. And the chatter of an immature oriole lured over to catch a glimpse. Clear hot days for the foreseeable future. Sunday night’s storm has left a happy landscape (but it’ll not make a dent in the drought).
Today marks the second anniversary of my living in Salt Lake City.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 7:04 a.m. (8:04 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
Cool and breezy and quiet on the trails with Jack this morning. Cloudless still, droughty still, and not as many birds as last year at this time (other, perhaps, than a whole bunch of House Finches). I did catch a glimpse of a vireo and heard the call of a hawk. Still, a lovely, not-too-hot hike.
Back at the house, meanwhile—like yesterday—things were hopping: many quail, a calling flicker, doves and sparrows and starlings. The highlight in afternoon: a female Bullock’s Oriole catching spiders in the roses.
Supposed to reach 100° (F) tomorrow.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 7:24 a.m. (8:24 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.