Hazy sun first thing. Also elks. Right away I caught site of a herd of them on the far north summit where I saw the the other day. Then a half-dozen appeared on the near hillside as dog and I headed up the slope. Looked like two bulls chaperoning four females—the largest male in front, and a younger bull in back.
Not many birds on the hike itself, but elsewhere quite a few. Including my first Utah Cedar Waxwing in six months here (in a little ornamental tree at the post office). I heard it first, then accidentally set off my truck alarm scrambling for my camera. (Worth it.)
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 10:00 a.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up the mountain.
Cool, breezy, sunny, birdy. What a lovely morning—complete with familiar voices. Birds were all over the place (young and old), so I wasn’t hurting for photographs.
We had ourselves the run of the hill this morning, oddly. Where were all the early Sunday morning hikers I’m accustomed to seeing? It was weird.
But that left more birds to pay attention to. A couple of minor oddities: Red-winged Blackbird in flight, and the voice of a (migrating?) Ruby-crowned kinglet. Many, many juveniles.
Dewy blueberries, too.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:15 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
I love the little Alder Flycatcher. These are shy birds, but the nest along he field edges of the preserve, and I’ve grown accustomed to their various subtle vocalizations (beyond their typical “free beer!” song).
Descending today, I heard the familiar Pip! alert sound of theirs coming from some greenery very near the trail. Of course Jack and I stopped so I could take a peek. The bird must’ve had fledglings nearby—otherwise I’d never have gotten close enough for this photo with a sprig of fireweed.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:30 a.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Red-eyed Vireo** (v) 2. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 3. American Goldfinch (v) 4. American Crow* (v) 5. Chipping Sparrow* (v) 6. Tufted Titmouse (v) 7. Eastern Towhee 8. Common Yellowthroat 9. Gray Catbird** 10. Cedar Waxwing 11. Song Sparrow** 12. Field Sparrow (v) 13. Yellow Warbler (v) 14. Chestnut-sided Warbler (v) 15. Eastern Phoebe* 16. Eastern Bluebird 17. Osprey 18. American Robin 19. Savannah Sparrow 20. Alder Flycatcher
Elsewhere
21. Wild Turkey 22. Northern Cardinal (v) 23. Rock Pigeon 24. Mourning Dove
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Bird Report is an intermittent record of what's outside my window in Rockport, Maine, USA (44°08'N latitude, 69°06'W longitude), and vicinity. —Brian Willson
