Something changed overnight. The planet had another rotation, and because of its revolution around the sun, the photoperiod lengthened slightly. And a butterfly showed up this afternoon. A deer appeared in front of the house, ambling toward town. And the birds went just a little bit spring-crazy.

Scrub-jays looking for places to cache things. A Steller’s Jay in the junipers. Two solitaires up along the deer trails, but just one deer. First red-tail in a while. A random raven. Four mammals. At home, a pair quail this morning, and an eagle this afternoon. Temps on the rise.

Sproing!

Grandeur Peak Area List
At 8:06 a.m. (9:06 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.

1. Northern Flicker
2. House Finch*
3. Dark-eyed Junco
4. Rock Pigeon*
5. Black-capped Chickadee
6. Pine Siskin (v)
7. American Robin*
8. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay*
9. Red-tailed Hawk
10. Black-billed Magpie
11. Spotted Towhee**
12. Steller’s Jay
13. Townsend’s Solitaire
14. Common Raven

Elsewhere

15. House Sparrow (v)
16. Lesser Goldfinch
17. California Quail
18. Eurasian Collared-dove (v)
19. Canada Goose
20. European Starling
21. Golden Eagle
22. Mourning Dove (v)

Mammals

Red Squirrel (v)
Mule Deer
Mountain Cottontail
Rock Squirrel

(v) Voice only
*Also Elsewhere
**Voice only Elsewhere