9 February 2025

Posts Tagged ‘chpping sparrow’

Heat Wave

Sunday, June 13th, 2021
Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay, East Millcreek, Salt Lake City, Utah, 13 June 2021.
Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay.

Dog and I started early, what with a hot day forecast. Sure enough it was cloudless, but here on the east side of the basin, we’ve got the mountain shade early—and a little bit of a breeze kept things about room temperature on our way up to the ridge, where I decided we could climb for a change.

And climb we did. Had plenty of water for Jack, and most of the hike was in shadow. (The sunny spots were a little toasty.) Quite a few birds out early—I figure they didn’t want to have to brave the afternoon heat. Which, by the way, reached 100° (F). (Tomorrow’s supposed to get to 101°, and the day after 102°.)

It’ll be a drought-ravaged year here in the west, but still we’ll go out hiking. (Early.)

Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 7:03 a.m. (8:03 MDT), I hiked about 1,200 feet up a mountain.

1. American Robin* (v)
2. Black-capped Chickadee
3. Lazuli Bunting
4. Black-chinned Hummingbird
5. House Finch**
6. Spotted Towhee
7. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay
8. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
9. Rock Pigeon
10. Black-billed Magpie*
11. Black-headed Grosbeak (v)
12. Chipping Sparrow
13. Western Wood-pewee
14. Western Tanager (v)
15. Warbling Vireo
16. Black-throated Gray Warbler (v)
17. Mourning Dove (wing whistle)
18. Orange-crowned Warbler (v)
19. Cooper’s Hawk

Elsewhere

20. California Quail
21. Song Sparrow (v)
22. European Starling
23. Eurasian Collared-dove
24. Barn Swallow
25. House Sparrow

Mammals

Rock Squirrel
Mountain Cottontail

(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere

A Good Walk

Saturday, May 29th, 2021
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, East Millcreek, Salt Lake City, Utah, 29 May 2021.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.

Pretty quiet this calm, lovely morning up along the deer trails. Coolish still, and dry. I wonder each morning why it’s different from the morning before—and the morning before that. They’re all different, sometimes subtly so, and sometimes vastly.

Not nearly as many species today as in recent days. I imagine migration is diminishing apace. (Did hear one bird I couldn’t identify—and couldn’t track down.) Nests are active. Not nearly as much singing going on.

Each day is different, year round. Just as every season is different from the previous year’s. Makes me wonder. And any hike that makes me wonder is a good walk. (Not sure I’ve ever had a bad one.)

Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 7:28 a.m. (8:28 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.

1. Lazuli Bunting
2. Spotted Towhee
3. American Robin*
4. Black-headed Grosbeak (v)
5. Black-chinned Hummingbird
6. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
7. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay
8. Pine Siskin (v)
9. House Finch**
10. Chipping Sparrow
11. Black-billed Magpie
12. Warbling Vireo
13. Black-capped Chickadee
14. Orange-crowned Warbler (v)
15. Song Sparrow** (v)

Elsewhere

16. Eurasian Collared-dove

Mammals

Rock Squirrel

(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere

Outstanding

Wednesday, May 19th, 2021
Cooper’s Hawk (in stealth mode), East Millcreek, Salt Lake City, Utah, 19 May 2021.
Cooper’s Hawk (in stealth mode).

What a lovely, summery morning—considering we’ve still got a month left of spring. Birds about, although no new firsts-of-year. A sneaky Cooper’s Hawk overlooking the Monarch Quarry (ignoring the tiny gnatcatchers attempting to mob him), buntings and grosbeaks and Warbling Vireos vying for their preferred high desert territories, four Turkey Vultures.

It was a warm one, and—other, perhaps, than a pair of Chukars we flushed coming along the deer trail—nothing particularly outstanding about this morning. Just a generally outstanding hike with dog.

Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 7:31 a.m. (8:31 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.

1. Black-headed Grosbeak
2. Song Sparrow* (v)
3. Lazuli Bunting
4. American Robin*
5. Black-chinned Hummingbird
6. Spotted Towhee
7. Black-capped Chickadee
8. Rock Pigeon*
9. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
10. Mourning Dove
11. Cooper’s Hawk
12. Pine Siskin
13. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay (v)
14. House Finch**
15. Chipping Sparrow
16. Warbling Vireo (v)
17. Turkey Vulture
18. Chukar

Elsewhere

19. California Quail
20. Black-billed Magpie
21. European Starling

Mammals

Rock Squirrel

(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere

 
Bird Report is a (sometimes intermittent) record of the birds I encounter while hiking, see while driving, or spy outside my window. —Brian Willson



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