An earlier hike, the snow is mostly gone. Not much mud on the trails even—and a nice assortment of bird species.
Early on, I heard, behind dog and me, the song of a finch that wasn’t a House Finch. As someone who’s been hoping to learn the song of a Cassin’s Finch, I retreated to get a look. Indeed, a first-year Cassin’s. I got a good listen—even a short video (accompanied by the ever-present rush of highway traffic). I believe I’m close to committing to memory the sounds of its notes and music.
Otherwise, a solitaire, three Mountain Chickadees, cottontail and deer, and a pair of Turkey Vultures (which I first thought were ravens, because I spied them perching on what I’ve dubbed “the raven stone,” because I’ve only seen ravens there).
A warm, cloudless day. Another expected tomorrow.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 7:35 a.m. (8:35 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
Melted snow and sun and insects, cottontail and deer, singing birds in numbers. What a difference a day makes, eh? Another quick hike with Jack—but more like spring, this one.
Fifteen species in all this morning on the hill, and another five elsewhere. Many robins moving through, and first waxwings of the year.
The April chill will remain for a bit, but the photoperiod lengthens.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 7:42 a.m. (8:42 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. House Finch* 2. American Robin* 3. Dark-eyed Junco 4. Spotted Towhee 5. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay 6. Black-capped Chickadee 7. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 8. Northern Flicker (v) 9. Song Sparrow** (v) 10. Rock Pigeon* 11. Cassin’s Finch 12. Cooper’s Hawk 13. Pine Siskin (v) 14. Black-billed Magpie* 15. Lesser Goldfinch*
Elsewhere
16. European Starling 17. Eurasian Collared-dove 18. House Sparrow 19. Downy Woodpecker 20. Cedar Waxwing†
Mammals
Mountain Cottontail Mule Deer
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year bird
The mud on the trail this morning made a squishy sound beneath my boots, but I didn’t mind. I kind of liked it, the idea that this—here, now, the melting snow of late winter—is where much of the water comes from here in the high desert. Also, I saw a lot of birds.
The early part of the day was mostly overcast, but in afternoon it got sunny, and I heard the click-click-click! of some quail. Snuck out on the deck and got a photo of a lovely female, perched on a rose bush and sounding that alarm to the rest of her covey.
Less than a week ’til spring.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 8:57 a.m. (9:57 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Cooper’s Hawk 2. Dark-eyed Junco 3. Cassin’s Finch 4. American Robin** (v) 5. Lesser Goldfinch** (v) 6. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay* 7. Rock Pigeon* 8. Spotted Towhee* 9. House Finch** (v) 10. Black-capped Chickadee 11. Juniper Titmouse 12. Song Sparrow* (v)
Elsewhere
13. Eurasian collared-dove (v) 14. California Quail
Mammals
Rock Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
