Snow last evening, snow overnight, snow this morning. About a foot of it, looked like when it finally stopped in late morning. Soon the sun came out and Jack and I slogged our way up the snowy trail.
I didn’t know what to expect, bird-wise—in fact, I was not too optimistic. Was I ever wrong. Ended up with eleven species on my trail list—including three raptors, a Canyon Wren, Canada Geese of all things, and a young eagle. Maybe being midday, maybe the first clearing after a four-day snow.
Ain’t complainin’. It was a very good day.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 12 p.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up the mountain.
No Jack on my midday Halloween hike, which seemed wrong and strange. I made it a quick one. At first there seemed few birds up the mountainside—but a bunch showed up on my return trip, including Golden Eagle, Canyon Wren, and a pair of vocal ravens.
I sure missed that dog of mine—who had to stay home in a cone—but I can think of worse companionship.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 1:30 p.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up the mountain.
1. Black-capped Chickadee* 2. House Finch** 3. Northern Flicker* 4. American Goldfinch* (v) 5. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay* 6. Dark-eyed Junco (v) 7. Golden Eagle 8. Black-billed Magpie** 9. Canyon Wren 10. Common Raven
Elsewhere
11. European Starling 12. Rock Pigeon 13. Ruby-crowned Kinglet 14. Eurasian Collared Dove 15. House Sparrow
v = Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Cool but lovely morning. Heard a singing quail—Chicago! Chicago!—first thing, then spied a few occasional species (raven, woodpecker) and ended up with a dozen in all.
Dog and I are starting to really love this new hike of ours.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 10 a.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up the mountain.
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
