This morning’s hike—much shorter than yesterday—was cool and sweet and fruitful (with somewhat cleaner air). Fun and unusual birds (including two species of swallow). Dog and I enjoyed it a lot. Still puzzling over hummingbirds however.
In particular, I’m having trouble distinguishing between various species of female/immature hummers. I thought I had Broad-tailed Hummingbirds down—but then I had an expert point out that two of my broad-tail photos actually showed Calliope Hummingbirds. What’s more, both birds look an awful like female Rufous Hummingbirds.
You have to take in consideration things like: overall size, beak length, short or longer tails, wing length compared with tail length, location of ruddy colored feathers, wider feathers, shiny feathers. I feel confident I can tell the sound of a broad-tails wingbeats (also black-chins’)—but so much is still a mystery.
You might thing it’s frustrating—but no. Just my latest birding challenge.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 7:27 a.m. (8:17 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
Nice hike this early morning—even coolish, what with a partial overcast (and even some curtains of rain that I don’t believe ever hit drought-parched ground). The usual suspects, fourteen species in all.
Back at home, the quail were about, s they have been every recent day. California Quail were brought here back in the 1800s and have made themselves at home—to the point that they tend to hang out in the neighborhood, perhaps for the variety of fruit and other food, along with water. Yesterday, I spotted a teensy little baby quail hanging out with its mom. Sometimes the males will perch on the spherical top of the chainlink fence post and give their rather loud exotic call.
I never saw California Quail until I moved out here. Then again, I’ve never been to California.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 6:59 a.m. (7:59s MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
Cool in the shade this morning, and hot in the sun. Not as hot as it was this afternoon (mid- to upper-90s (F)), but we got to the trailhead early, dog and I, and had a quick hike. Slowed down on the shady stretches and sped up in the sunny ones.
Saw and/or heard quite a few birds. Got a photo of a gnatcatcher singing animatedly (as they all do). Out on a sunny twig, too, that little bird.
Might reach 100° tomorrow.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 7:02 a.m. (8:02 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Lazuli Bunting 2. American Robin 3. Black-capped Chickadee 4. Rock Pigeon 5. Black-chinned Hummingbird 6. Pine Siskin 7. Spotted Towhee 8. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 9. Violet-green Swallow 10. Black-headed Grosbeak 11. House Finch** 12. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay 13. Empidonax (sp.) 14. Chipping Sparrow (v) 15. Black-throated Gray Warbler (v) 16. Warbling Vireo 17. Black-billed Magpie 18. Song Sparrow* (v)
Elsewhere
19. Eurasian Collared-dove 20. California Quail 21. European Starling 22. Rock Picon
Mammals
Rock Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
