A mostly overcast Saturday morning, with a little breeze—but temperatures right about 50° (F). Jack-my-dog and I were along for most of the start of our hike, but by the end of it, we’d stopped to chat with fellow hikers six or seven times. As the birding wasn’t overly excellent, such social distractions were a nice diversion.
Even so, I heard what sounded an awful like the chip of a Yellow-rumped Warbler—and even got a distant look at the bird in flight—but I couldn’t be sure enough to call the ID. And two accipiters made an appearance. And at the end of the hike, I heard the cricket-like flight call of a Broad-tailed Hummingbird.
Cloudy for the next two or three days, with chances of a Monday rain. but the end of the week to come looks like it might be warm and bright, with a chance of more hummingbirds.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 7:39 a.m. (8:39 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. American Robin* 2. House Finch** 3. Black-capped Chickadee 4. Spotted Towhee 5. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay 6. Rock Pigeon* 7. Black-billed Magpie 8. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v) 9. California Quail* 10. Wood Warbler (sp.) 11. Cooper’s Hawk 12. Sharp-shinned Hawk 13. Song Sparrow 14. Broad-tailed Hummingbird† (v)
Elsewhere
15. Lesser Goldfinch (v)
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year bird
Got a whiff of smoke this morning on my hike with dog. A haze hovered over the basin. The fires in California are alarming, to say the least—as is the local drought. Thought we’d be getting some rain tomorrow, but apparently not. Going on two months without significant rain.
Perhaps that’s why things continue to be quiet up the foothills trails. Mostly the usual suspects this morning, bu also a couple of birds whose calls I didn’t recognize. One in particular—with a semi-harsh, semi-musical chip-note—flitted out of a juniper and showed itself to be warbler-sized with flashes of yellow. Tried to track it down but didn’t see it again. Another little chattery bird, too, I couldn’t sneak up on.
“Dips” in birding lingo usually mean you’ve heard of a rare or interesting sighting and go looking for it but fail to find it—i.e., you “dipped” on the bird. In my mind the same applies in the shorter term: you see or hear something curious but don’t end up getting a good look. Happens a lot.
But also, on occasion, you stumble onto a pretty great sighting without even trying. It all works out in the end, I suppose.
No smoky smell later in the day. I hope at least the West Coast gets a little rain.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 8:13 a.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
I worried a bit yesterday when I encountered the male uphill from the nest a bit, very near the trail, emitting a sharp alarm chip. When I then checked the nest, the baby birds were still there, at least three fuzzy heads bobbing—but it was the first time I hadn’t seen a parent with them. Wondered what had spooked the dad, or where the mom got off to. Didn’t worry, too much, though.
Turned out I had good reason.
I suspect the resident magpie family got the nestlings. A good while ago, the magpie pair fledged a brood of big, loud, healthy youngsters. Their nest was just up the slope from the grosbeaks’. Perhaps something happened to the female, which left the male as the only parent to fend for the youngsters.
An empty nest is a sad thing.
Grandeur Peak Area List Beginning at 8:45 a.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
