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Keep watching for this flag to start waving when the Rosy-Finches arrive at the feeders of the Crest House, in the Sandia Mountains just east of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Feeders will be put up on Wednesday, October 29. Plan to combine your visit with a stop at Bosque del Apache NWR, site of the Festival of the Cranes November 18-23– flocks of all three species of Rosies should be at Sandia Crest by then!
ROSY BULLETIN: Wednesday, October 29:Fran and Dave put up two feeders today:
One is to the east of the Crest House, and another is on the patio. Earlier in the day, a dead female White-winged Crossbill was found on the sidewalk next to Crest House. No reports of rosy-finch sightings as yet, but we will keep you posted! <<Details at CORRESPONDENCE link>> |
Bert Filemyr of the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club photographed the road to Sandia Crest (NM 536) as it climbs Tejano Canyon (© 2004, used with permission):
The rosy-finches are now on their way to Sandia Crest. In three of the past six years, they have arrived at the Crest House feeders by the first week in November. This year, feeders are scheduled to be put up on October 29. | WINTER | FEEDERS PUT UP | FIRST ROSY_FINCH SIGHTING |
| 2002 | OCTOBER 30 | NOVEMBER 19 |
| 2003 | OCTOBER 19 | NOVEMBER 15 |
| 2004 | NOVEMBER 06 | NOVEMBER 07 |
| 2005 | OCTOBER 26 | NOVEMBER 12 |
| 2006 | OCTOBER 30 | NOVEMBER 02 |
| 2007 | OCTOBER 31 | OCTOBER 31 |
Follow e-Bird for reports of migrating rosy-finches. As of today, the eBird data base contains no evidence that the birds are on the move. In the southwest corner of Alberta, Canada, on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains, is a the ridge in the Livingstone Range that the Piikani Blackfoot named Piitaistakis (”The Place of the Eagles”). It is an ideal location for observing the migration of large raptors, including golden eagles. The world’s largest golden eagle migration occurs along this flyway each spring and fall. The watchers keep track of the movements of smaller birds as well.
The interior race of the Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (spelled “Grey-crowned” in Canada) breeds in these mountains, and the coastal (Hepburn’s or gray-cheeked) race nests to the west. Mid-October saw a surge in numbers of rosy-finches, as revealed by this selective search of the postings of the eagle-watchers:
September 19 [Day 25] 20 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches,
October 3 [Day 38] 86 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches
October 4 [Day 39] 25 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches
October 18 [Day 53] 552 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches
October 22 [Day 57] Finch movement comprised 786 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches, 35 Pine Grosbeaks and 25 White-winged Crossbills. Two of 5 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches feeding near the site at 0810 were the coastal subspecies littoralis (“Hepburn’s Rosy-Finch”), the first time they have been recorded at the site this season.
Their migration flight path to Sandia Crest takes them through Oregon, Utah, Wyoming Colorado and northern New Mexico, where birders are on the alert for their arrival. As soon as I hear of any reports I will keep everyone updated.