Got some good sleep last night, so didn’t rush to the trailhead first thing. As a result, much of my hike with dog happened in the sunshine this morning. Mild temperatures, plenty of interesting birds, just an all-around nice time.
Plus, a kinglet actually posed for a photo.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 8:30 a.m. (9:30 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. American Robin 2. Black-capped Chickadee 3. House Finch** 4. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay* 5. Yellow-rumped Warbler** 6. Rock Pigeon* 7. Mourning Dove 8. Lesser Goldfinch** 9. Northern Flicker 10. Ruby-crowned Kinglet 11. Dark-eyed Junco 12. European Starling 13. Black-billed Magpie** 14. Red-tailed Hawk
Awoke to the promise of wet, lightly falling snow—a promise soon kept. Dog and I encountered footprints on the trail but no human or dog or cottontail. However, we did encounter several bird species, including big bunches of robins and yellow-rumps.
Red-tailed Hawk (calling).
What with all those snowflakes in the way, I didn’t expect to end up with any great photos, but was surprised. Still, my favorites came in afternoon, after much of the snow had melted. Thought about leading with the (calling) Red-tailed Hawk—but settled on a portrait of the resident Song Sparrow.
(Hadn’t had pic of the sparrow in a good while.)
Grandeur Peak Area List At 8:03 a.m. (9:03 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Spotted Towhee** (v) 2. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay** (v) 3. House Finch (v) 4. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 5. Yellow-rumped Warbler 6. Rock Pigeon* 7. Pine Siskin 8. White-crowned Sparrow 9. Dark-eyed Junco (v) 10. American Robin
Snowed a tiny bit overnight, and the temperature still hovered right about freezing when dog and I headed up the trail. Nearly cloudless sky, though, so—once the sun topped the ridge—melting commenced.
Meanwhile, we encountered a bunch more migrants, no doubt spurred on by the extra chill.
Many yellow-rumps, quite a few kinglets, a little gang of sparrows, surprisingly few juncos, and a solitary Cooper’s Hawk. (Also a solitaire Townsend’s Solitaire, which was fun to see.)
Sky, chill, migrants—ah, the clarity of a season’s change.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 8:58 a.m. (9:58 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
