Back in Maine, when I thought to myself “finch,” it was after I’d heard the familiar call of a Purple Finch, native of the woods and trees. House Finches were about also, but they were town birds mostly. Here in Utah—where there are no Purple Finches—House Finches are the resident species.
When I think “finch” here, it means something different. Town birds still, but also right at home in the wild foothills.
A chilly, cloudless morning hike with dog. Lots of bird species (beyond the finches)—including a rare gang of six or seven ravens circling together above the rocky ridge. The usual corvids and other (winter) species, along with elk and deer.
(Alas, as expected, we found the mule deer from yesterday had died.)
Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 10:15 a.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up the mountain.
1. Lesser Goldfinch** (v)
2. Pine Siskin
3. Song Sparrow** (v)
4. House Finch*
5. Black-billed Magpie*
6. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay**
7. Black-capped Chickadee
8. Dark-eyed Junco
9. Northern Flicker
10. American Robin
11. Common Raven
12. European Starling
Elsewhere
13. Rock Pigeon
14. House Sparrow
Mammals
Mule Deer
Rocky Mountain Elk
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American robin, black-billed magpie, black-capped chickadee, common raven, dark-eyed junco, European starling, house finch, house sparrow, lesser goldfinch, northern flicker, pine siskin, rock pigeion, song sparrow, Woodhouse’s scrub-jay
