Sunday, February 19, 2012

Sandia Crest - Rosy-Finches

Sandia Crest is one of two unquestionable reasons for birders to visit New Mexico during the winter months. Only a short distance east of Albuquerque, there is a paved, well-maintained forest service road to the crest - elevation 10,600 feet. At the crest there is a deli-type eatery and gift shop. There is also a bird feeder, making Sandia Crest the most dependable place (anywhere, from all I have read) to see all three species of Rosy-Finch.

I have heard accounts from birders of long hikes in the tundra of mountain tops in the hopes of seeing these birds. During the winter they flock together, and a mixed flock dependably visits the feeder maintained by the operators of the Sandia Crest lodge.

I made the pilgrimage on a Sunday when the Rosy-Finch Project was doing banding (more in a future post).

It almost seemed too easy - sipping hot chocolate and sitting inside while the flock made multiple forays through the pines, and visits to the feeder. But guilt over such a situation no longer bother me in the least.

I saw the Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch almost thirty years ago in Montana. One Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch was in the flock, and it only provided me with one opportunity to photograph it.

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch
The other two Rosy-Finches were life birds for me, and each provided many excellent photo opportunities.

Black Rosy-Finch ...

Black Rosy-Finch
Black Rosy-Finch
Black Rosy-Finch
Brown-capped Rosy-Finch ...

Brown-capped Rosy-Finch
Brown-capped Rosy-Finch
 Note the "jewelry" worn by this Rosy-Finch ...

Brown-capped Rosy-Finch
 Good Birding!

3 comments:

Laurence Butler said...

That's an amazingly colored bird Mr. Petrak, you've sold me on a trip to New Mexico.

John (Tucker) said...

Great photos Chris. I've got Alburqurque on my list of places to bird. Was there a few years ago before I got biten by the birdwatching bug. Thanks for sharing!

John Finnegan said...

Chris,

Thanks for posting the wonderful photos. You mention in your introduction that "Sandia Crest is one of two unquestionable reasons for birders to visit New Mexico during the winter months." What's the other reason?

John

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails