Supposed to be hot today, and the temp was already in the upper-70s (F) at the airport, so dog and I headed up to the trailhead about half hour earlier than usual. Gotta say it was pretty nice hiking in the mountain shade.

And there were birds a-plenty. Small flocks of young robins, large flocks of fnch families, a juvie Black-throated Gray Warbler, and my first nuthatch in a while.

Not until our return did we finally feel the warmth of direct sunlight—a hint of the heat to come.

Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 6:38 a.m. (7:38 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.

1. American Robin*
2. Lazuli Bunting
3. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay
4. Mourning Dove
5. Rock Pigeon*
6. House Finch*
7. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v)
8. Spotted Towhee
9. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
10. Black-chinned Hummingbird
11. Black-capped Chickadee
12. California Quail*
13. Western Tanager (v)
14. Warbling Vireo (v)
15. Chipping Sparrow (v)
16. Black-throated Gray Warbler
17. Song Sparrow** (v)

Elsewhere

18. Black-billed Magpie
19. Eurasian Collared-dove
20. Downy Woodpecker
21. Northern Flicker

Mammals

Mountain Cottontail

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