Cooler temps, snow on the ground—feels like winter again. A lot of wildlife activity, too: ten varied bird species (several posed for photos)and about 30 deer (near and far). Also lovely skies.
Red-tailed Hawk.
Most notable, perhaps, was the Red-tailed Hawk that decided to grab a perch on the bluff as we were descending (no doubt the same bird I’d seen on a utility pole from that very bluff on our ascent). But also a photogenic chickadee.
Who doesn’t love a chickadee?
Grandeur Peak Area List At 08:54 MST, I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. House Finch** (v) 2. Song Sparrow* (v) 3. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay (v) 4. Rock Pigeon* 5. Northern Flicker* (v) 6. Pine Siskin 7. Red-tailed Hawk 8. Townsend’s Solitaire (v) 9. Black-capped Chickadee 10. Dark-eyed Junco
Elsewhere
11. American Robin 12. Spotted Towhee (v) 13. European Starling 14. House Sparrow (v)
Mammals
Mule Deer
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
I had no expectations when dog and I headed up the switchback this morning. After yesterday’s mostly silent stroll, I’d begun to think fall migration would be something of a dud this year.
My suspicions were unfounded, perhaps not least because of the weather. Which I hadn’t checked. There was a little (very little) rain.
And we encountered many bids—among them two dozen yellow-rumps, a gnatcatcher, and a posing sparrow.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 7:19 a.m. (8:19 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
A few clouds this morning, just enough to make for some hazy sun early. Cool, but not as cool as the past few mornings. Still smoky air.
Very quiet along our usual hiking trails: nine species, not many of each. Afterward, doing errands in town, listed another nine species—including a vee of geese, three vultures, swallo, gull, and starling.
However, my best photo came early, thanks to a visit by a chatty scrub-jay.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 7:10 a.m. (8:10 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
10. Black-billed Magpie 11. Rock Pigeon 12. Mourning Dove 13. European Starling 14. Canada Goose 15. California Gull 16. Turkey Vulture 17. Barn Swallow 18. California Quail
Mammals
Red Squirrel Rock Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
