Yesterday it was a pair of showy Mountain Bluebirds, up the mountain. Today it was an unassuming Rock Wren, in the rocks.
Second lifer in two days.
This day was warm and mostly cloudy one—and pretty full of bird life. Noteworthy was a Townsend’s Solitaire clinging to a twig in a brisk wind near the end of our morning hike, dog and me.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 8:45 a.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up the mountain.
1. American Robin* 2. Black-billed Magpie* 3. Spotted Towhee 4. Black-capped Chickadee 5. Pine Siskin (v) 6. Northern Flicker (v) 7. California Quail (v) 8. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay* 9. Rock Wren† 10. Dark-eyed Junco 11. Chukar (v) 12. House Finch* 13. Turkey Vulture 14. Townsend’s Solitaire
Elsewhere
15. Song Sparrow (v) 16. Eurasian Collared Dove 17. European Starling 18. Lesser Goldfinch (v)
This morning early, dog and I began a hike that ended at 7,041 feet above sea level—our highest point in Utah so far. I hadn’t intended to ascend that far, but once you get going, it can be hard to stop. In any case, I’m glad I did.
Because, first of all, had we not climbed so high, I wouldn’t have seen my first Mountain Bluebirds ever on our descent. Nor would I have gotten my first halfway decent photo of a Chukar. Secondly, it was just a glorious morning—crisp and clear—and we had a spectacular view from up at the snow line.
My ears popped as we were descending.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 8 a.m., I hiked 1,900 feet up the mountain.
High 20s (F) when dog and I hit the trail this morning. The sky was cloudless, though, so I knew that warmth would come soon—as soon as we climbed out of the mountain shade.
Plenty of birds about, including a Red-breasted Nuthatch (heard), lots of robins, and flickers behaving territorially. In fact, I got a great look at a display I’d never seen before: three male flickers together in one tree, one perched higher, and the other two going through an occasional head-bobbing, tail-flaring wicka-wicka-wicka dance, repeated multiple times (with a pause in between).
Finally the two youngsters (I’m assuming here) fluttered away, leaving the original male to his perch—and, presumably, territory.
Spring’s so full of sweet mysteries.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 9 a.m., I hiked a couple 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
