This one was supposed to be a warm day. And it was. But the real heat didn’t rise until after dog and I had finished a delicious hike in the sun.
Delicious for me on account of all the migrating bird life—including a first-of-year (and very likely only-of-year) Plumbeous Vireo—and delicious for Jack on account of all the smells.
We shall see what tomorrow brings.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 7:42 a.m. (8:42 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
This morning was chilly compared to recent mornings. Right away, as dog and I started up the switchback, birds began to make themselves apparent. The usual suspects mostly (albeit not singing so much as they used to), until we got to the shade of Coyote Canyon, when things got exciting.
First were the wing-trills of the Broad-tailed Hummingbirds that’ve been following us up the cool valley there in past days. Soon enough I heard heard a short, sweet, subtle warble, which turned out to be a female grosbeak’s. Then I spied my first Warbling Vireo in a few days, a random Yellow Warbler in the leafy maples, then another bird up there I could not quickly ID—apparently a young bird, being fed by a parent. I got a photo, thought, which revealed it to be a Plumbeous Vireo (only my third-ever glimpse of the species).
The short climb was thrillingly birdy. Then, unexpectedly, I happened to notice two grouse in the thick greenery not six or eight feet off the trail. Unexpectedly, they did not fly—just stood contemplating me as I snapped photos, then moseyed off into the vegetation. Later, after viewing the photos, I decided these were Ruffed Grouse.
Update:Months later (on 27 February 2021), I had email from the local eBird expert, who advised me the photo above (which I posted there, as well) in fact depicted a Dusky Grouse hen. (Pale throat and overall darker plumage set this bird apart). Talk about unexpected: How strange to be celebrating a new lifer so many months after seeing it!
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 8 a.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
Another fun morning hike. Even before the hike, in fact: the first bird I spied this early morning—perched on the tip of a conifer out front of the house—was a first-of-year species (Brown-headed Cowbird).
But during the hike proper—which happened on a nippy morning (40s (F) to start, in the mountain shade) turning into a warmish morning—I counted lots of species, failed at tracking a couple of new songs, but managed to tally a new lifer and see a bunch of hummingbirds.
The lifer: a Plumbeous Vireo, which I first heard, than caught a glimpse of. Alas, no photo, though. (Yet.)
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 8 a.m., I hiked several hundred feet up a mountain.
