Another morning much like yesterday. And the day before. And I daresay tomorrow morning. The ten-day forecast looks kinda boring—few clouds, plenty of sun, no precipitation—but I don’t mind.
This morning’s hike with dog took us along our usual route—until I heard the notes of a Townsend’s Solitaire from up the north side of the Millcreek Pipeline Ridge. Had ample water supplies for Captain Jack. So we hiked the ridge loop.
And encountered quite a variety of bird species. First kestrels in a while. Swallows. A random female Bullock’s Oriole. Met (and chatted with) a few nice fellow hikers. Jack drank all the water.
Every day’s a new day, every hike unique, every bird sighting a sort of minor miracle. (Looking forward to tomorrow.)
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 8 a.m., I hiked abou 1,200 hundred feet up a mountain.
During this morning’s bright, breezy hike with dog, I encountered more wild birds than I have since at least last fall. Quite a few species, too—but I’ve had more species on my list this year. Just not as many individual birds.*
The youngsters have been sprung free.
Many young finches, many young robins, random other juvie birds—along with the usual high number of buntings and towhees. By my count, 107 individuals—among them (today’s highlight) a curious Sharp-shinned Hawk.
Can hardly wait to see what tomorrow will bring.
*Not counting large flocks of Rock Pigeons.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 8:45 a.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
A lot happening this morning kept me and Jack from hiking until late morning today. It was bright and warm, but I brought water, and we had a pretty nice time of it—despite the fact that I didn’t manage any decent bird photos.
A good part of the time I spent in the shaded valley trail, where the Warbling Vireos live, trying to get a pic of one of three vireos I saw. Trouble is, they were bothered by the presence of a nearby scrub-jay, so they were all noise and flitty motion, and I couldn’t get a fix. At one point they were joined by a gnatcatcher—I’ve seen little gnatcatchers harassing jays a lot lately—but it didn’t stop and pose, either.
Still, as I say, it was a good ’un. You can kinda tell that summer’s only a week or so away.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 11:15 a.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
