One nice thing about hiking the same patch every day is getting to know the wildlife well—the individual birds, bird families, where they hang out, their calls, their habits. As rewarding, arguably, are the surprises.

Today’s surprises were: 1) a Eurasian Collared-dove perched on a wire usually occupied by a Mouning dove; 2) a cottontail far afield from where we usually encounter them, dog and I; 3) a random tanager showing up weeks after my last sighting.

Surprises are fun. And not uncommonly experience by the daily birder. (I’m tellin’ ya, birding improves your life.)

Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 6:36 a.m. (7:36 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.

1. Lazuli Bunting
2. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay (v)
3. Lesser Goldfinch**
4. Black-capped Chickadee (v)
5. House Finch*
6. Eurasian Collared-dove
7. Black-chinned Hummingbird
8. Hawk (sp.)
9. Mourning Dove
10. Black-headed Grosbeak
11. Rock Pigeon
12. Spotted Towhee
13. Black-billed Magpie**
14. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
15. Western Tanager
16. American Robin

Elsewhere

17. House Sparrow
18. California Quail

Mammals

Red Squirrel
Rock Squirrel
Mountain Cottontail

(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere