This morning’s hike began in drizzle which turned straight away to snow flurries. It was moist, it was breezy. But soon enough the mist rolled away to reveal… quite a few birds.
Mostly the usual suspects—including several great flocks of juncos—but during our return trip, I looked up to see three ravens sailing around in what had turned into a gusty wind. Right away they sailed directly overhead to check us out, then veered off toward the south, dipping and twirling and doing somersaults.
That’s all. Just wanted to tell you about the ravens.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 8:42 a.m. (MST), I hiked several hundred feet up a mountain.
In spring and fall, Dark-eyed Juncos abound in my neighborhood—which includes a few miles of mountain trails just up the street from me. The flocks that were moving around under flurrying skies during my hike this morning with dog lived up to their nickname: “snow bird.” For some moments I watched standing on the snowy ground, reaching its pink beak high, and stripping seeds of a weed stem.
abound in my neighborhood—which includes a few miles of mountain trails just up the street from me. The flocks that were moving around under flurrying skies during my hike this morning with dog lived up to their nickname: “snow bird.” For some moments I watched standing on the snowy ground, reaching its pink beak high, and stripping seeds of a weed stem.
A bunch of other birds made my list this morning also, but juncos were the only only ones who posed.
It was supposed to snow a few inches overnight, but it only snowed about an inch. Not as cold as yesterday, nor as breezy. And birds were out—not many individuals, but a dozen species.
Saw the dependable woodpecker again, but no solitaire. At one point I had two corvids, two sparrows, two tits, two finches, and two woodpeckers.
Scrub-jays were the only birds in the juniper barren, though.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 8:39 a.m. (MST), I hiked several hundred feet up a mountain.
