Following yesterday’s big day, this morning’s hike brought sparse bird action—without even a single Yellow-rumped Warbler. One thing it did bring, though, was flickers. Lots and lots of flickers.
Flickers plucking olives from the Russian olive tree. Flickers perched and delivering their bright, declarative call. Flickers, male and female, flapping overhead, gathering in the crowns of little scrub oaks, traveling here and there. Since they don’t properly migrate, perhaps—like the Mountain Chickadees—they simply move around where the food is, readying for certain winter.
Whatever the case, it’s pretty nice to have red-shafted Northern Flickers hanging around.
Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 8:27 a.m., I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Northern Flicker**
2. Black-capped Chickadee**
3. Red-breasted Nuthatch
4. American Robin
5. House Finch**
6. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay
7. Spotted Towhee
8. Black-billed Magpie* (v)
9. Dark-eyed Junco (v)
10. Mountain Chickadee
11. Cooper’s Hawk
12. Lesser Goldfinch* (v)
Elsewhere
13. Song Sparrow
14. Rock Pigeon
15. House Sparrow
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American robin, black-billed magpie, black-capped chickadee, cooper's hawk, dark-eyed junco, house finch, house sparrow, lesser goldfinch, mountain chickadee, northern flicker, red-breasted nuthatch, rock pigeon, song sparrow, spotted towhee, Woodhouse’s scrub jay
