Very few crows here. Occasional ravens. Scrub jays. Rare (for me) Steller’s Jays. But no shortage of Black-billed Magpies.
Captain Jack and I have passed through the territory of a pair of nesting magpies nearly every day for a week or two. They make low, secretive noises when we pass, but we don’t mess with them. In fact, I talk to ’em a little. My hope and wish is that they observe us long enough to know we mean them no harm.
(Most all corvids are pretty smart that way, I think.)
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 8:15 a.m., I hiked a couple hundred feet up the mountain.
1. American Robin* 2. Black-billed Magpie* 3. Black-capped Chickadee 4. House Finch** 5. Pine Siskin (v) 6. Eastern Towhee 7. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay 8. Northern Flicker** (v) 9. Common Raven
Elsewhere
10. Song Sparrow 11. Rock Pigeon 12. California Gull
Mammals
Mule Deer
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Somehow, during my hike with dog this morning, I found myself stepping off the trail and climbing up toward the high rocky outcrop. Perhaps because of the Chukar I spied high on the ridge (second such sighting in two days). Perhaps because the deer trails were less muddy than the human ones. Whatever the reason, I’m glad I did.
We ended up ascending about 1,000 feet up—to 6,077 feet above sea level. On the way, I got closer to a Golden Eagle than I ever have. And I confirmed my casual theory that eagles might be a threat to Chukars (since, when the former took flight, it spooked one of the latter, which flew screaming down the mountainside).
We ended up above a herd of mule deer, Jack and I. The view was glorious.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 9 a.m., I hiked about a thousand feet up the mountain.
1. American Robin* (v) 2. Black-billed Magpie* 3. Black-capped Chickadee 4. House Finch* (v) 5. Dark-eyed Junco (v) 6. Spotted Towhee 7. Northern Flicker** (v) 8. Chukar 9. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay (v) 10. Golden Eagle 11. Common Raven 12. Song Sparrow* (v) 13. Pine Siskin (V)
Elsewhere
14. European Starling 15. Lesser Goldfinch (v) 16. California Quail
Mammals
Mule Deer
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Ravens are arguably my favorite birds. They’re not gaudy or beautiful, and they don’t sing a melodic song. They’re black, they croak, they steal eggs from the nest of other birds. They’re wondrous and mystical, that’s all.
They’re obviously intelligent. They’re playful—watching fledglings testing their wings is like watching children at their first amusement park—and curious. And if you’re lucky (as my dog and I have been) they’ll fly silently above you when you’re hiking a lonely trail, just to check you out.
I think the local nesting pair of ravens is getting to know Jack and me (as the resident pair at Beech Hill did). Not sure yet, but they’ll let me know.
(This morning we did the same 1,000-foot hike as yesterday. It’s a good one.)
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 9:15 a.m., I hiked a couple hundred feet up the mountain.
1. Song Sparrow** (v) 2. American Robin* 3. House Finch* (v) 4. Black-capped Chickadee** 5. Black-billed Magpie* 6. Northern Flicker (v) 7. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay* 8. Spotted Towhee 9. Pine Siskin (v) 10. Common Raven
Elsewhere
11. Eurasian Collared Dove (v)
Mammals
Mule Deer
(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
