I brought a second water bottle this morning, ’cause I figured Captain Jack and I might like to take our first ridge hike in—well, months. (Since sometime in fall anyway.) And so, on a bright spring morning, we did.
Mourning Dove.
And it was lovely. Pleasantly nippy and breezy and sunny and improved by the company of wildlife. Eighteen bird species in all, including an eagle flyby, just as we set off up the ridge, on Millcreek Canyon side. (A slightly difficult photo, as the bird was below us.) Also three mammals.
A couple hours later, toward the end of our descent, as I was searching for the source of the cry of a Cooper’s Hawk, I heard the whistle of the wings of a dove, which took a perch right behind us. Easier photo.
Will likely be our last ridge hike—my personal favorite on these trails—but we shall see.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 7:40 a.m., sun time, I hiked 1,200 feet or so up a mountain.
1. American Robin* 2. Eurasian Collared-dove** 3. Song Sparrow** (v) 4. Spotted Towhee 5. Northern Flicker* 6. Rock Pigeon* 7. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay 8. House Finch** 9. Pine Siskin 10. Golden Eagle 11. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 12. Ruby-crowned Kinglet 13. Chukar (v) 14. Black-billed Magpie (v) 15. Cooper’s Hawk (v) 16. Mourning Dove 17. Red-tailed Hawk 18. California Quail** (v)
Elsewhere
19. Lesser Goldfinch
Mammals
Mountain Cottontail Mule Deer Rock Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Something changed overnight. The planet had another rotation, and because of its revolution around the sun, the photoperiod lengthened slightly. And a butterfly showed up this afternoon. A deer appeared in front of the house, ambling toward town. And the birds went just a little bit spring-crazy.
Scrub-jays looking for places to cache things. A Steller’s Jay in the junipers. Two solitaires up along the deer trails, but just one deer. First red-tail in a while. A random raven. Four mammals. At home, a pair quail this morning, and an eagle this afternoon. Temps on the rise.
Sproing!
Grandeur Peak Area List At 8:06 a.m. (9:06 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Northern Flicker 2. House Finch* 3. Dark-eyed Junco 4. Rock Pigeon* 5. Black-capped Chickadee 6. Pine Siskin (v) 7. American Robin* 8. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay* 9. Red-tailed Hawk 10. Black-billed Magpie 11. Spotted Towhee** 12. Steller’s Jay 13. Townsend’s Solitaire 14. Common Raven
Elsewhere
15. House Sparrow (v) 16. Lesser Goldfinch 17. California Quail 18. Eurasian Collared-dove (v) 19. Canada Goose 20. European Starling 21. Golden Eagle 22. Mourning Dove (v)
Mammals
Red Squirrel (v) Mule Deer Mountain Cottontail Rock Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also Elsewhere **Voice only Elsewhere
Today I heard my first Golden Eagle vocalization. Dog and I were hiking along our usual deer trail (on this unexpectedly showers-free-yet-mostly-overcast morning) when I heard it. A series of loud, declarative, high, clear notes. Didn’t recognize the sound at all, but it had me looking up in the direction of the ridge—where the eagle appeared, circling.
I’d heard voices of Bald Eagles—which are kind of thin and twittery for such a stately bird—but never a golden. When the eagle swooped down to a rocky outcrop and sat for a good long while without calling, and I began to wonder if I’d heard another bird. But back home, I confirmed the ID.
Right after the eagle, I spied a kestrel in flight. Also saw a cottontail and a Rock Squirrel.
A good hike on the day before the snow.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 08:44 MST, I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Pine Siskin 2. American Robin* 3. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay** 4. House Finch** 5. Dark-eyed Junco 6. Rock Pigeon 7. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 8. Spotted Towhee (v) 9. Black-billed Magpie (v) 10. Northern Flicker (v) 11. Song Sparrow (v) 12. Golden Eagle 13. American Kestrel
Elsewhere
14. House Sparrow (v) 15. European Starling 16. Mourning Dove (v)
Mammals
Mountain Cottontail Mule Deer Rock Squirrel
(v) Voice only * Also Elsewhere **Voice only Elsewhere †First-of-year
