From Gregory Canyon Survey May 22nd, 2026
Photo of Ovenbird during the survey:
May 22, 2026, Bird Inventory for Gregory Canyon, Boulder Mt. Park
Birds:
Mourning Dove – 6 – at both low and high elevations
Broad Tailed Hummingbird – 19 – concentrated at lower elevations
Northern Flicker – 1 – only one seen and heard
Hammond’s Flycatcher – 2 – one near the parking lot, another at high elevation
Warbling Vireo spp. – 7 – at all elevations, singing, foraging
Plumbeous Vireo – 8 – most up in ponderosa pine areas, singing, chases, calls
Blue Jay – 2 – one near parking area, one at higher elevation
Stellar’s Jay – 8 – up high and low – one doing an imitation of a Cooper’s hawk
Black Billed Magpie – 6 – all near the road and parking area
American Crow – 12 – calls, flying
Common Raven – 50+ unusual mass of ravens riding thermals and calling, over Green Mountain and the First Flatiron and over the canyon. These groupings are unusual, and there is still debate as to why they congregate like this. (Note: I had seen a congregation similar to this over Mount Blue Sky several years ago, with over 300 ravens. It was astonishing to see!)
Violet Green Swallow – 4 – lower elevation, calling and flying
Mountain Chickadee – 8 – calls, songs, foraging, at higher elevations
Black Capped Chickadee – 6 – at high and low elevations
Bushtit – 2 – along the road near the parking area
White Breasted Nuthatch – 2 – foraging, calling
Pygmy Nuthatch – 2 – near the road
Red Breasted Nuthatch – 8 – calls, foraging, higher up in Douglas Fir \ Pine forests
House Wren – 13 – most near the road and lower elevations
Canyon Wren – 1 – singing, lower part of canyon trial
Blue Gray Gnatcatcher – 1 – one calling and foraging, lower elevation
American Robin – 16 – males and females at all elevations, foraging
Gray Catbird – 9 – most near the road and parking area, chases, songs, calls
Virginia’s Warbler – 8 – most at higher elevations, songs, foraging
MacGillivray’s Warbler – 2 – songs, lower part of canyon
Audubon’s Warbler – 1 – singing, highest part of survey route
Ovenbird – 1 (plus 3 more in Long Canyon area) – songs and perched in evergreens. The one for Gregory Canyon was just inside the survey route close to the Long Canyon Trail junction.
Yellow Breasted Chat – 3 – songs, near road and upslope from parking area.
Western Tanager – 14 – songs, calls, flying; majority were at higher elevations in the pine belt
Spotted Towhee – 16 – at all elevations, but most lower down
Chipping Sparrow – 4 – songs. Unusually low numbers this year.
Gray Headed Junco – 4 – two pairs near nest sites, higher elevation
Black Headed Grosbeak – 8 – songs, flying, perched. Most at lower elevations
Common Grackle – 4 – near the parking area
Brown Headed Cowbird – 10 – calls, songs, flying, most at lower elevations
American Goldfinch – 2 – songs, perched; near the road
Total Bird Species Count = 36 (one more than last year)
Conspicuously Absent: starlings and raptors
Mammals:
Mule Deer - 2
Fox Squirrel – 3
Pine Squirrel – 4
Chipmunk spp. – 1
Snakes:
Western Terrestrial Garter Snake – 1
Wildflowers were scant due to lack of rain, but small amounts of the following were seen - spiderwort, evening primrose, sulphurflower, scorpionweed, garlic mustard, bush penstemon, wallflower, asters, cranesbill, phlox, wild violet, dandelion, lavender penstemon, toadflax, goldenbanner, desert parsley, mountain parsley, etc.
John T (Tumasonis)
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