Overcast and hazy sun this morning. Birds about—plenty of ’em, vocalizing and moving around—although no crazy migrants yet. Breeze was from the southwest, though, so favorable for mogration.
Wren again, nesting chickadees, five kinglets, a Cooper’s. Lots of birds in the neighborhood, too—and in town (including a domestic mallard in Sugar House that I did not list here).
Deer, too, and the voice of a quail.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 7:47 a.m., sun time, I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Pine Siskin** 2. American Robin* 2. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay 3. Spotted Towhee 5. Rock Pigeon* 6. Black-capped Chickadee 7. Rock Wren 8. House Finch* (v) 9. California Quail* (v) 10. Northern Flicker* 11. Black-billed Magpie* (v) 12. Ruby-crowned Kinglet 13. Cooper’s Hawk (v) 14. Red-tailed Hawk 15. Song Sparrow* (v)
Elsewhere
18. Lesser Goldfinch 16. House Sparrow 17. Eurasian Collared-dove 18. European Starling 20. Mourning Dove 21. California Gull
Mammals
Red Squirrel Mule Deer
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Had an early appointment, so Captain Jack and I were late to hit the trail this morning. The early sun had slipped behind a veil of haze—first trace of coming precipitation, I reckon—but the light was good, and there were a dozen bird species to watch and/or listen to.
Rock Wren.
A Rock Wren showed up, which was fun. And gang of fifteen deer surprised us (or me, at least) up amid the junipers. But the funnest moment was when I heard the voices of crows.
In Maine, crows appeared on my list nearly every day, whereas up in the foothills, I think I’ve only listed them a two or three times (I can recall two) in my years here. So I gasped when I heard a caw!—then another. I spied them a few hundred feet above us, eight in all, flying in a loose circle.
Seems I really miss ’em, crows.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 8:58 a.m., sun time, I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. American Robin** 2. Eurasian Collared-dove** 3. Spotted Towhee 4. California Quail 5. Northern Flicker** 6. Rock Pigeon* 7. Dark-eyed Junco 8. Rock Wren 9. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay 10. House Finch** 11. Black-capped Chickadee 12. American Crow
Elsewhere
13. Song Sparrow (v) 14. California Gull 15. European Starling 16. Lesser Goldfinch
Mammals
Rock Squirrel Mule Deer
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Overcast and rather windy this morning. Warm enough—50s (F)—that dog and I both found it comfortable. The birds were less comfortable with the windy conditions, however: only six species today. Among them, notably, was a pair of wind-blown, first-of-year Turkey Vultures.
The deer didn’t mind, though—And in afternoon, in the front garden, a visit by a quail.
(No rain today after all, but the possibility of thundershowers tomorrow.)
Grandeur Peak Area List At 7:56 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. Turkey Vulture† 5. Pine Siskin (v) 6. Eurasian Collared-dove* (v)
Elsewhere
7. Song Sparrow 8. Rock Pigeon 9. California Gull 10. California Quail
Mammals
Mule Deer
(v) Voice only *Also Elsewhere **Voice only Elsewhere †First-of-year
