This first day of winter dawned warmer than any day in the past couple weeks, at least—upper-30s (F), maybe low-40s. Mostly clear, with a dappled sky. Mud mixed with ice on the trails.
Dog and I were the only ones of our species on the trail this morning, a trail that deer had walked not long before. Plenty of birds about (if not a whole bunch of species). A few even posed for photos. But my thrillingest thrill of this solstitial day was when I heard the territorial notes of a Townsend’s Solitaire.
Same place as I’d seen a solitaire several times the past week or two: coming up the wooded gully of little Coyote Canyon, whose shade had kept the snow from melting. I slowed at once, snuck slowly up the trail, scanned the tips of trees, where I know solitaires like to perch. It’s a stalk I’ve done more than once before.
On a curve in the trail, I spied it high atop a juniper tree.
Grandeur Peak Area List
Beginning at 8:45 a.m. (MST), I hiked several hundred feet up a mountain.
1. House Finch**
2. Spotted Towhee
3. Black-billed Magpie*
4. Juniper Titmouse (v)
5. Dark-eyed Junco
6. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay
7. Cassin’s Finch
8. Downy Woodpecker
9. Rock Pigeon*
10. Pine Siskin (v)
11. Black-capped Chickadee
12. Northern Flicker**
13. Townsend’s Solitaire
14. American Robin (v)
Elsewhere
15. European Starling
Mammals
Mule Deer
Red Squirrel
(v) Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere
Tags: American robin, black-billed magpie, black-capped chickadee, Cassin’s finch, dark-eyed junco, downy woodpecker, European starling, house finch, juniper titmouse, mul deer, northern flicker, pine siskin, red squirrel, rock pigeon, spotted towhee, Townsend’s solitaire, Woodhouse’s scrub jay
