My morning hike with dog began quietly. And by that I mean there were surprisingly few bird sounds. No singing buntings or towhees until well into our hike. Notably quieter than yesterday—or any recent day.

I knew why: young ’uns.

After the sun climbed above the mountains, birds began to vocalize a bit—but not a lot. Yet still I spied (and heard) fledglings and juvenile birds all over the place. (Notable were my first young towhees of the season.)

It’s just that juvie time of year.

Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 8:45 a.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.

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

Elsewhere

15. Eurasian collared Dove
16. California Quail
17. European Starling
18. House Sparrow

Mammals

Rock Squirrel (v)

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