My morning hike with dog began quietly, in keeping with this quiet season, when I mostly scan for silent flitting birds. And, dang, did I hit the jackpot.
In particular, that pot appeared in the form of a trailside rose bush, where in the pat I’ve often seen lurking towhees. What I saw this morning were three quietly flitting Brewer’s Sparrows. As I stood still angling fdor photos, Another bird popped up: a Nashville Warbler. Turned my camera to the warbler, when another species appeared: a House Wren. Got some nice pics of the wren—when I noticed a Green-tailed Towhee in there, too.
Four species in the same little wild rose.
Later, on our return, I decided to head over and revisit the rose bush, and what should I find there? A Spotted Towhee.
You can bet I’ll be checking that wild again in the morning.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 7:07 a.m. (8:07 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Black-chinned Hummingbird 2. House Finch** 3. Rock Pigeon* 4. Western Tanager 5. Eurasian Collared-dove 6. Spotted Towhee 7. Lesser Goldfinch* 8. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay (v) 9. Brewer’s Sparrow 10. Nashville Warbler 11. Green-tailed Towhee 12. House Wren 13. Chipping Sparrow 14. Black-capped Chickadee 15. Lazuli Bunting 16. American Robin
Elsewhere
17. California Quail (v) 18. House Sparrow
Mammals
Rock Squirrel Red Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
A very cool—albeit very smoky—morning. The combination made me think dog and I might should do a ridge hike. And we did.
Clark’s Nutcracker.
Quiet again, bird-wise. (It’s just that time of year.) But it was a good hike up the long switchback for we two old troopers. Up along the ridge, I happened to spy a group of five fast-flying, distinctively patterned birds below us—birds I did not recognize. They were too far away for a good look, but my eyeballs say gray birds, with black wings and a little white on ’em somewhere. I tried to get photos, wasn’t sure I had much luck.
Back home, I discovered a single fairly sharp distant photo of one of the birds headed away. Still couldn’t find an ID online, so I ran the pic by my expert bird-tour-leader friend Derek, who immediately identified it as a Clark’s Nutcracker. A lifer for me!
Later, on our return, I sparrow popped up right beside the trail. A chippy. Bidding us adieu—until, perhaps, tomorrow.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 7:07 a.m. (8:07 MDT), I hiked some 1,200 feet up a mountain.
Trouble operating my GoPro for the second straight day—this time, I managed to set it for “night lapse.” Sheesh. (Tomorrow I’ll do a careful equipment check.) Compared to yesterday, at least, it was a quiet morning, with not a lot of excitement, nor many photo opportunities.
Except toward the end, when I happened to spot a bird perched on some bare scrub-oak twigs. And for the second straight August day, I had a first-of-year species.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 7:05 a.m. (8:05 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. House Finch** 2. Black-capped Chickadee 3. Black-chinned Hummingbird 4. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay 5. Rock Pigeon* 6. Lazuli Bunting 7. Eurasian Collared-dove 8. Spotted Towhee (v) 9. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 10. Western Tanager 11. Warbling Vireo (v) 12. Accipiter (sp) 13. Broad-tailed Hummingbird 14. Lesser Goldfinch (v) 15. American Goldfinch 16. Pine Siskin (v) 17. American Robin (v) 18. Sage Thrasher†
Elsewhere
19. Black-billed Magpie 20. European Starling 21. American Crow 22. California Quail
Mammals
Red Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year bird