The air wasn’t perfect this morning, but it was clearly, well, clearer. And cleaner. Got to the trailhead a bit early, which—combined with the lessening photoperiod—made for a lot of mountain shade early. Along with few birds. In fact, more than half my hike with dog to me only a half dozen species.

But then the sun topped the ridge, and, like magic, things started to pick up. by hike’s end I’d added eight more—including (the funnest bird for me) a female grosbeak whose subtle (but distinctive) chip I heard, followed, and traced back to the source of the sound.

Nice to have clean(er) air for a change.

Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 6:56 a.m. (7:56 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.

1. American Robin
2. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay*
3. Black-chinned Hummingbird
4. Rock Pigeon*
5. Spotted Towhee
6. Broad-tailed Hummingbird
7. Warbling Vireo
8. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
9. Mourning Dove
10. House Finch**
11. Lazuli Bunting
12. Pine Siskin (v)
13. Black-headed Grosbeak
14. Black-billed Magpie*
15. Black-capped Chickadee (v)

Elsewhere

16. Eurasian Collared-dove
17. California Quail

Mammals

Rock Squirrel
Red Squirrel

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