A bit warmer this morning. Dog and I got to the trailhead about 15 minutes later than yesterday. A little cloudiness. A nice morning.
Started quiet—but soon enough I was enjoying a few nice surprises—e.g., a vocal Juniper Titmouse, the cry of a raven (first in many months), and a Townsend’s Solitaire popping up right in front of us on the trail.
I’ll take this kind of birding excursion any ol’ day.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 8:42 a.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
Ah, another lovely morning’s hike in the mountain shade—and a bit of sun. A contrast with yesterday’s bird activity, though, thanks (I decided, based on nothing but a hunch) to a nice northwest wind overnight. Figure it might’ve cleared out the place. At least temporarily.
Truly a quietened morning landscape.
But still a nice list of finch and sparrow and corvid and chickadee and woodpecker. A junco even popped up in a sunny patch and posed for me.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 8:30 a.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Dark-eyed Junco 2. House Finch 3. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay 4. Spotted Towhee 5. Pine Siskin (v) 6. Northern Flicker** 7. American Robin 8. Mountain Chickadee (v) 9. Black-capped Chickadee 10. Black-billed Magpie* (v)
Elsewhere
11. Song Sparrow (v) 12. Rock Pigeon
Mammals
Red Squirrel (v)
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Pretty good variety this morning, bird-wise. About ten degrees (F) warmer than yesterday in the mountain shade—comfortable walking weather. Things started out rather quiet, but picked up soon enough.
On something of a lark, we followed a few deer trails across unfamiliar slopes, dog and I, which was interesting for both of us. Also followed a Juniper Titmouse around and, at quite a distance, spotted a Steller’s Jay in flight.
