8 February 2025

Posts Tagged ‘Orange-crowned Warbler’

The Unexpected

Monday, August 30th, 2021
Nashville Warbler, East Millcreek, Salt Lake City, Utah, 30 August 2021.
Nashville Warbler.

The first bird I heard this morning was a Northern Flicker. First flicker for months, I’d say. Unexpected.

Before long, I spied a quiet bird in a scrub oak: a Rock Wren. First of that species I’ve ever seen that wasn’t perched on a rock. Coincidentally, the next new species I saw was a House Wren. (So few wrens around here, I thought for a while it was the other wren following dog and me around.) Talk about unexpected.

Some time later, I spied a tiny batch of warblers following a vocal pod of chickadees (as warblers are wont to do when roaming). I assumed the first I took a photo of was a Virginia’s Warbler. Only when I looked at the photos later did I notice it was a Nashville Warbler—first in Utah. (At least I assume they have a full yellow belly here as they do back East.) Did not expect that.

Fact is, it was so quiet to start this morning that I sure didn’t expect my species list to reach 15.

Grandeur Peak Area List
At 7:06 a.m. (8:06 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.

1. Northern Flicker (v)
2. House Finch*
3. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay
4. Rock Pigeon
5. Eurasian Collared-dove*
6. Red-tailed Hawk
7. Black-chinned Hummingbird
8. Spotted Towhee
9. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
10. Rock Wren
11. House Wren
12. Black-capped Chickadee
13. Nashville Warbler
14. Orange-crowned Warbler
15. American Goldfinch (v)

Elsewhere

16. Black-billed Magpie
17. Lesser Goldfinch

Mammals

Red Squirrel

(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere

Nutcracker

Saturday, August 28th, 2021
Chipping Sparrow, East Millcreek, Salt Lake City, Utah, 28 October 2021.
Chipping Sparrow.

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, East Millcreek, Salt Lake City, Utah, 28 October 2021.
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.

1. Black-chinned Hummingbird
2. Rock Pigeon*
3. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay (v)
4. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
5. Black-billed Magpie*
6. Lesser Goldfinch
7. Lazuli Bunting
8. House Finch**
9. Clark’s Nutcracker‡
10. Black-capped Chickadee
11. Cooper’s Hawk
12. Spotted Towhee (v)
13. Orange-crowned Warbler
14. Chipping Sparrow

Elsewhere

15. House Sparrow
16. California Quail (v)

Mammals

Red Squirrel
Rock Squirrel

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

Mild Friday

Friday, June 25th, 2021
Black-headed Grosbeak, East Millcreek, Salt Lake City, Utah, 25 June 2021.
Black-headed Grosbeak.

The forecast called for a chance of thundershowers this morning, but no such luck. Instead, dog and I had a lucky overcast and cool, room temperatures. And a good hike. Along with a nice assortment of bird species.

Most unusual was a random Warbling Vireo moving through the trees just above the neighborhood. Most thrilling was a raven lying low over the bench. (Hadn’t seen a raven in quite a while.) And most photogenic was a grosbeak singing in a treetop near the old Monarch Quarry.

We’re supposed to get a rather mild weekend, too—before summertime returns with a vengeance next week.

No matter, we shall hike regardless, Jack and I.

Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 7:05 a.m. (8:05 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.

1. Lazuli Bunting
2. American Robin*
3. Rock Pigeon
4. Spotted Towhee
5. Warbling Vireo
6. Black-chinned Hummingbird
7. House Finch**
8. Lesser Goldfinch
9. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
10. Black-capped Chickadee
11. Common Raven
12. Black-billed Magpie* (v)
13. Black-headed Grosbeak
14. Orange-crowned Warbler (v)
15. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay

Elsewhere

16. Song Sparrow (v)
17. Eurasian Collared-dove
18. California Quail

Mammals

Rock Squirrel

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

 
Bird Report is a (sometimes intermittent) record of the birds I encounter while hiking, see while driving, or spy outside my window. —Brian Willson



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