
The temperature had risen to a nippy 33 degrees by the time Captain Jack and I began our hike this bright, clear morning. I wore a scarf, as there was a bit of a breeze. Wasn’t sure we’d encounter a lot of wildlife—but we sure enough did: fifteen bird species and sixteen deer.
Noteworthy among the birds was a Steller’s Jay, a solitary vulture, and two Cooper’s Hawks—clearly a male and female, and apparently the mating pair that’s occupied the nest above little Coyote Canyon for two years.
As I suspected, pretty much all the snow from yesterday was gone, and the trails were dry. Gonna warm up again in the comping days, too.
Kinda excited to see what spring migrants drop by.
Grandeur Peak Area List
At 7:58 a.m., sun time, I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. American Robin*
2. Spotted Towhee
3. House Finch*
4. Rock Pigeon*
5. Pine Siskin**
6. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay
7. Dark-eyed Junco
8. Black-capped Chickadee
9. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
10. Common Raven (v)
11. Steller’s Jay
12. Cooper’s Hawk
13. Turkey Vulture
14. Song Sparrow* (v)
15. Black-billed Magpie**
Elsewhere
16. Lesser Goldfinch (v)
17. House Sparrow (v)
18. Eurasian Collared-dove
Mammals
Mule Deer
Rock Squirrel
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere