What a morning. Twenty-one species, including a first-of-year Western Tanager (only a few minutes after I’d been lamenting not having seen one yet), a couple warblers (none yesterday), and a drop-in visit by a Turkey Vulture.

A lot of people think vultures are ugly, it seems—no doubt because they provide the noble service of cleaning up dead stuff all over the globe. I think they’re pretty handsome birds. Then again, I think all critters are handsome in their own way. Just please deliver me from being in the vicinity of a vulture that pukes. (I know from experience.)

It was a cooler day than yesterday, and more cool days to come. But pleasant. Truly springlike. Flowers blooming, pollinators pollinating, and ever on the periphery—wild birds.

Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 7:03 a.m. (8:03 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.

1. Black-capped Chickadee
2. Lazuli Bunting
3. American Robin*
4. Spotted Towhee
5. Black-headed Grosbeak
6. Mourning Dove
7. Black-billed Magpie
8. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
9. Black-chinned Hummingbird
10. Rock Pigeon*
11. House Finch**
12. Western Tanager†
13. Chipping Sparrow
14. Virginia’s Warbler
15. Warbling Vireo (v)
16. Orange-crowned Warbler
17. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay (v)
18. Lesser Goldfinch
19. Violet-green Swallow
20. Turkey Vulture
21. Song Sparrow* (v)

Elsewhere

22. Eurasian Collared-dove (v)
23. Barn Swallow
24. California Quail

(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
†First-of-year bird