An earlier hike, the snow is mostly gone. Not much mud on the trails even—and a nice assortment of bird species.

Early on, I heard, behind dog and me, the song of a finch that wasn’t a House Finch. As someone who’s been hoping to learn the song of a Cassin’s Finch, I retreated to get a look. Indeed, a first-year Cassin’s. I got a good listen—even a short video (accompanied by the ever-present rush of highway traffic). I believe I’m close to committing to memory the sounds of its notes and music.

Otherwise, a solitaire, three Mountain Chickadees, cottontail and deer, and a pair of Turkey Vultures (which I first thought were ravens, because I spied them perching on what I’ve dubbed “the raven stone,” because I’ve only seen ravens there).

A warm, cloudless day. Another expected tomorrow.

Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 7:35 a.m. (8:35 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.

1. House Finch*
2. American Robin*
3. Northern Flicker (v)
4. Cassin’s Finch
5. Spotted Towhee
6. Black-billed Magpie*
7. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay
8. Dark-eyed Junco
9. Rock Pigeon*
10. Eurasian Collared-dove
11. Black-capped Chickadee
12. Townsend’s Solitaire
13. Mountain Chickadee
14. Turkey Vulture
15. Lesser Goldfinch*

Elsewhere

16. Song Sparrow

Mammals

Mountain Cottontail
Mule Deer

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