A snowy, windless morning. Wet snowflakes, floating slowly, straight down. I waited until late morning to hike with Jack, not expecting many bird species—but I got quite a few. (No deer or elk, though.)

Among the birds were the usual high desert corvids: Black-billed Magpie and Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay. Each is endearing in its own way—but they’re not crows.

American Crows were such a ubiquitous part of my daily life back in Maine—their ever-present voices, their harassment of raven and raptor, their enormous conventions in fall. In my six months in SLC, I’ve had exactly two crow sightings, both in town. Not a single caw, though. Weird.

Miss you, crows. We’ll meet again by and by.

Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 11 a.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up the mountain.

1. House Finch*
2. Black-capped Chickadee**
3. Dark-eyed Junco
4. Black-billed Magpie*
5. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay**
6. Pine Siskin
7. Song Sparrow** (v)

Elsewhere

8. Eurasian Collared Dove
9. Lesser Goldfinch (v)

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