Fun hike with dog this morning—a cloudless morning, as forecast. Dry trails, nice birds (albeit fewer numbers than yesterday). Did get a good, near peek at a bird I could not quickly identify (haven’t yet checked my GoPro video), and also a one-eyed Cooper’s Hawk, but the best part was pestering another Juniper Titmouse until it finally posed for photos.
Migrants coming within the next week or two. Woo-hoo!
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 7:41 a.m. (8:41 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
As forecast, the day dawned clear. Nippy still, but much dryer trails. Bunches of birdies, too—nearly 50 of them robins.
A raven flew over, had a nice look at a solitaire, two starlings flew by (unusual), and a goodly amount of towhees. Also stopped to chat with some early-rising human (and dog) friends.
Tomorrow being Sunday—and having a similar forecast—we can maybe expect more of the same.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 7:24 a.m. (8:24 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. American Robin* 2. Spotted Towhee 3. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 4. Townsend’s Solitaire 5. Northern Flicker 6. Common Raven 7. European Starling 8. Rock Pigeon* 9. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay 10. House Finch* 11. Juniper Titmouse (v) 12. Black-billed Magpie* (v) 13. Lesser Goldfinch** (v)
Elsewhere
14. House Sparrow (v) 15. Mourning Dove 16. California Quail 17. Song Sparrow
Mammals
Mule Deer
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
A windy night last night, and down around freezing this morning. I didn’t head up to the trailhead with dog until 8 o’clock (9 DST)—and still the wind was howling.
But once we got up under the ridges, the air calmed, and the sun warmed us—and a list I expected to comprise five or six species ended up with eleven. The usual suspects, true, and not in great numbers. But I got to see a courtship ritual between a pair of Woodhouse’s Scrub-jays: the male appeared with a bit of nest fluff (more like a hair or filament) and delivered it to the female. Really rather touching.
Only a week or so before new arrivals come.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 8 a.m. (9 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
