This was an odd day. As forecast, a little snow fell early, but then a thick fog settled in, so I figured I’d wait it out. I waited a while—until early afternoon, and we were still socked in. So Jack and I headed up the mountain anyway.

Didn’t expect many wildlife sightings, and didn’t have many at first. But then the fog lifted a bit, and you could see for a distance. Deer, some chickadees, a corvid or two. And then the sun blasted through and warmed us for about the last third of the hike, at which point a whole bunch of little birds descended.

Alas, none posed for a photo—except one shy chickadee that didn’t want to show its face.

Yet, still, I loved this odd day.

Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 1:30 p.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up the mountain.

1. Black-capped Chickadee**
2. Northern Flicker**
3. Black-billed Magpie*
4. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay (v)
6. House Finch
7. Lesser Goldfinch
8. Dark-eyed Junco
9. Small falcon (spp)

Elsewhere

10. American Robin
11. Rock Pigeon
12. European Starling

(v) Voice only
**Voice only elsewhere
†Lifer