Feedback from visitors to the Rosy-Finch feeders at Sandia Crest

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[Gil is Manager of the Kandahar Condominiums at Taos Ski Valley. The rosy-finch flocks persisted 17 days longer at his location, with a few persisting today. Ken]

Date: April 27
From: Gil Bachmann

Hi, Ken.
 Most of the Rosy Finches have left TSV.  The last I saw of the large flock was Saturday a week ago, the 21st.  For several days after that there was a flock of perhaps 50.  Now there is just a handful around the feeders, and some of them are looking sluggish, like they are not up to their migratory flight.  Have seen three dead fiches over the past 6 weeks.
 
I miss the flurry of activity!

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Date: April 9, 2008
From: Fran Lusso and Dave Weaver

Hi Ken,
Well, we are just back from the Crest and have taken down the feeders and the log.  It was damp and cold but most of the snow has melting significantly since last week.  Colorado is expecting 10-20" of snow but we might be getting some rain. 
Tony, at the Crest House, saw one lonely GC yesterday but the sightings have been just one or 2 since Saturday.  The last recorded sighting of a flock was on Friday 4/4/08.
 
We've left a note by the window asking anyone who does sight any rosy finch to email the sighting directly to rosyfinch@rosyfinch.com.
 
So that's the season for 2007-2008!
 
We...  will resume going up to the Crest to staff the Visitor Center each Wednesday about Memorial Day.
Happy birding!
Fran & Dave

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Date: March26, 2008
From: Fran Lusso and Dave Weaver

Hi Ken,

Just back from the Crest - road is clear but there is still snow on the ground in the forest and up at the Crest.  Birders up there when we arrived said they had seen a flock of about 50.  We urged them to make a log entry before they headed down - I think they will.   There are still sightings of a large flock (~150) so the birds are still around.
Weather is warming significantly out here - 70's in town today and expected throughout the week.. Hope all is well there!  
Regards,

Fran & Dave

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From BIRDWG05 Digest - 24 Mar 2008 to 25 Mar 2008 (#2008-86)

Date:    Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:08:21 -0500
From:    Devin Eby-Bosler 
Subject: NM: All three rosy-finches continue at Sandia Crest, Bernalillo Co. - 23 Mar 2008

 For those interested, all three rosy-finches continue to frequent the feeders at the Crest House on Sandia Crest (Bernalillo Co.).  As of Sunday (23 Mar), a fairly large mixed-species flock of ~120 rosy-finches made a few visits to the feeding station throughout the morning.  The flock was comprised of ~60 Brown-cappeds, ~45 Gray-crowneds (including at least 6 Hepburn’s), and ~15 Blacks.  The adult males are especially striking at this time having acquired their brilliant breeding plumage. The rosy-finch banding crew, headed by Steve and Nancy Cox, was there wrapping up the fifth winter season of banding.  The team was busily trapping, banding, and processing rosy-finches throughout the morning.  It’s fascinating to see these vividly-patterned fringillids up-close in the hand.  Congratulations on yet another successful year of rosy-finch banding at the crest!  Although the rosy-finch numbers are starting to thin out now, it’s not too late to stop by and enjoy the show.  In past years, they have been reported through the first week or so of April...   Good Birding,

Devin Bosler
LSU-Baton Rouge

= = = = = =
[On this last day of banding, Nancy notes that the rosy-finches' bills are turning black, just the opposite of the European Starlings, whose bills become yellow as breeding season approaches.  Today's same-season recapture rate of 50%, given the fact that 462 birds were newly banded suggests that there have been nearly 1,000 birds visiting the feeders. Ken]   

Date: March 23, 2008
From: Nancy Cox

Hi Ken,
We were glad that the pressure was on for us to band today.  We did better than we had on the last two Sundays combined.  (except for no OLD repeats).
I will keep watching your web site to see how long they stay this year.  We saw some really gorgeous Blacks out there today.  We saw a lot of black bills on the birds.

Thanks again for maintaining your wonderful website.  We appreciate it and know that many visitors and potential visitors really enjoy it.
Nancy

= = = = = =
Date: March 23, 2008
From: Steve & Nancy Cox

Hi all,
We almost did not band today.  However, with Steve Fettig's persistence to get a few more photos we went to the Crest House one more time.  We had to wait for about an hour before a flock of just over a hundred came into the feeder.  We banded another 13 Rosy-Finches today.  We caught and banded 2 more Hepburn's (thanks to Cole), 4 more Gray-crowned Interiors and 7 more Brown-capped.  We did recapture 13 Brown-capped and 2 Blacks but they were all from this season.

That brings us to a season total of 462 Rosy-Finches.  Brown-capped were the most numerous - 295 new birds banded.  We banded a total of 97 Gray-crowned (29 of which were Hepburn's) and 70 Blacks.

Devin and Justin Bosler (from Louisiana) counted at least 115 Rosy-Finches in the flock and that was while we had some in hand.  Gene Romero had promised us a large flock and he was right.

Thanks again to our wonderful banding team.  You made it another successful year and we are looking forward to next year when we have radio transmitters to place on these gorgeous birds.  We will miss them.
Nancy & Steve

==================
[All good things must come to an end, at least until next winter. The final banding session will be on Easter Sunday , beginning at 9:30 AM.  This has been a remarkable season. Greater things are in store next winter, as there are radio-tracking plans. More about that later.  Ken]
Date: March 21, 2008
From: Nancy & Steve Cox

Hi all,
I just got a report from Steve Fettig, one of our banding crew.  His friend was up at the Crest House on March 20 and saw all 3 species of Rosy-Finches.  They were present the whole hour that she was up there even though it was windy.  She saw approximately 20 birds - no large flocks.
We decided that we will see what we can capture.  We may shut down earlier than normal (normal is 2 p.m.) depending on how it goes.  This really will be our last day until next winter.

Nancy & Steve

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Date: March 19, 2008
From: Fran Lusso and Dave Weaver

Hi Ken,
Just back from the Crest - 20's and sunny.  The road is clear all the way to the top.  Thanks for the info about the snow play area - we hadn't heard that yet.
Although the banding was sparse this past Sunday, the Crest House staff saw a flock of about 150 yesterday so we think there are still numbers of birds up there.  We didn't see any this morning but we were only there a short time.

Last year the last recorded sighting was 3/25 so we expect the leave the feeders up for at least a couple more weeks.
 
We'll keep you posted.  Regards, Fran & Dave

==================
Date: March 16, 2008
From: Nancy & Steve Cox

Hi all,

Today was a very windy day here in Albuquerque and up at the Sandia Crest.  We didn't catch our first bird until 11:30 but it was well worth the wait.  It was a Black Rosy-Finch that we originally banded on January 22, 2006.  That brings us to 48 birds we have recaptured this year that were from previous seasons.  We only caught one more bird before we gave up.  It was an unbanded Brown-capped making 288 Brown-caps banded for this season.  Not bad since our previous high for Brown-capped Rosy-Finches was only 50 in the winter 2004/2005.

It is likely that today will be our last day.  We only saw one flock of about 50 birds.  However, we are going to rely on Gene Romero of the Crest House to let us know what the numbers are like for the rest of the week. We will make a final decision at that time.

Nancy & Steve

==================
Date: March 15, 2008
From: Nancy & Steve Cox
Subj: Why we band rehab birds

Hi all,

We just got a report from the Bird Banding Lab about a Cooper's Hawk that was one of Shirley Kendall's rehabilitated birds.  We banded it on July 6, 2000, as a hatch year female.  The hawk was released in the Corrales Bosque.  It was found (dead, unfortunately) in Berkeley County, West Virginia, by someone from Winterhaven, Florida.  It was found on March 10, 2008, almost 8 years later.

Nancy & Steve

==================
Date: March 9, 2008
From: Nancy & Steve Cox

Hi all,

We did a lot of sitting around today.  We trapped only 10 birds even though there were at least one flock of 150 birds seen.  They would come in for just a very brief time and then take off.  There was fresh snow on the deck but the trees were snow free.

We newly banded only 3 birds - 2 Brown-capped Rosy-Finches and 1 Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (Interior race).  The repeats were all from this season and consisted of 3 Brown-capped, 2 Blacks and 2 Gray-crowned (one of each race).

The road is clear.

==================
[The sixth Brown-capped Rosy-Finch from the winter of 2004-05 has been recaptured, and 5 Black Rosy-Finches were from the winter before last.. Nancy related that two of the birds today (one Black and one Brown-capped) were banded in the winter of 2005/2006, seen again during the winter of 2006/2007 and again today! So far this year, there have been 47 recaptures from previous winters. Ken]

Date: March 2, 2008
From: Nancy & Steve Cox

Hi all,
It was a great day today - cold, windy, snowing, and lots of Rosy-Finches.  We newly banded 18 birds - 16 Brown-capped, 1 Gray-crowned Hepburn's and 1 Gray-crowned Interior.  We had lots of repeats (176) including another 7 that we had originally banded in previous years.  Five were Blacks and 2 were Brown-capped.  All the Blacks were originally banded during the winter of 2005/2006.  One of the Brown-capped also was originally banded that same season but the other one was originally banded December 27, 2004.  The breakdown for the repeats was 113 Brown-capped, 30 Blacks, and 33 Gray-crowned (26 Interiors and 7 Hepburn's).

When we left, it was snowing and the road was snowpacked from the Crest down to the ski area.

==================
[USFS Volunteers today reported that the upper trails had 14 inches of new snow on top of 2 feet and some drifts were as deep as 5 feet. The banders had a busy day today.  Nancy said she was kept busy looking up old band numbers.  "We had several birds today that were from previous seasons but that we had already seen this season... we had a lot of help from two banders from Ohio today.  They were able to help hold birds for photo documentation...We also had birders from the Connecticut area and New Jersey Audubon."  Another Brown-capped Rosy-Finch banded during the winter of 2004-05 was recaptured, the second one this winter. Ken]

Date: Februrary 24, 2008
From: Nancy & Steve Cox

We processed 102 birds today.  Most of them were already banded birds.  We only banded 19 new birds (16 Brown-capped, 1 Gray-crowned Hepburn's, 2 Gray-crowned Interiors). We recaptured 18 Blacks (all but 3 from this winter), 50 Brown-capped (all but one from this winter), and 15 Gray-crowned  (all from this winter, 11 Interiors and 4 Hepburn's).  The 3 Blacks consisted of 2 that we first banded in the winter of 2006/2007 and 1 that we originally banded in the winter of 2005/2006.    The Brown-capped recapture was one we originally banded on 12/5/2004.

The road to the Crest had been closed yesterday. Today the road was plowed but they were icy in spots. The afternoon drive down was fine with only a few places where there was still some ice.

==================
[Welcome back, Fran and Dave! They bring us some good news. So far, Sandia Crest House has not changed hands, and Resident Manager Gene Romero is continuing in his position. Ken]

Date: February 20, 2008
From: Fran Lusso and Dave Weaver

Hi Ken,
We're back from NC and went up to the Crest today.  The road is clear and the Crest lot and walking areas are also pretty clear.  The snow is melting and if we don't get more soon, the rosies may head out early. There were lots of rosies today - on the feeder and on the deck along with some of the fattest Abert's squirrels we have ever seen!  Interestingly, there were some all black and some with white chest and feet and some with gray and black fur with a brown patch along the spine.  Must be hybrids.  We're sending photos to a biologist at WFU that we know who studies squirrels to get his take on it.
 
One of the entries listed the number of Rosies seen as a 'butt load' - we converted that to 'lots'!  :-)  Also of note, bird-wise, for the last 2 mornings we have had an unusual visitor to the pinyon outside our bedroom: a male Williamson's Sapsucker.  Although we haven't been able to get a picture, we have had very clear views of him several times and the identity is definite....it's a very distinct bird.  All is quiet at the Crest House and Gene indicated today that he is staying on for now.  Best to you and MaryLou.
 
Fran & Dave

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[Earlier, I noted that Gil Bachmann, General Manager of the popular Kandahar Condominiums in Taos Ski Valley, is also a birder, though quite a busy one during snow and ski season. He sent me several very nice photos that capture the thrill of seeing hundreds of rosy-finches crowd into his feeders. They are posted on my Blog at the "Latest Status Report" link. Gil extends a kind invitation to any hardy birders that may wish to view the birds privately, but asks that you call him to give advance notice. Ken]

Date: February 20, 2008
From: Gil Bachmann

Hello again, Ken.
 
...Removing all the snow from the roofs and roadways and all the other issues relating to taking care of our guests has kept us all very busy.  No complaints, though.  Just heard that this year's snow base is the best in 30 years!  The flock of rosy finches seems to increase almost daily.  The flock has increased to at least 400, maybe up to 500.  "Thick as hair on a dog's back" as we used to say in Missouri, when they descend on the feeders and the flower boxes full of sunflower seeds, and the deck floor around the feeders.  We have 4 of the flower box feeders and two hanging feeders.  At a given moment, they will all be filled with birds, with a greater number on the deck floor around the feeders, and another large number on the roof above the feeders.   I am sending several pictures I've taken, to give an idea of the flurry of activity here... I will try to keep you informed of any changes in the rosy finch numbers as the season progresses.  And hopefully I will soon have more time to devote to counting the distribution of the 3 races...

...We also extend the invitation to anyone who cares to observe the Rosy Finches or take pictures.Individuals are welcome at any time.  If a group were to want to spend several hours and even bring a lunch, they are welcome also.  We would appreciate advance notice if a group came.  While viewing from our office windows is often very good, the best viewing can be done from the Manager's condo.  There, one can sit just a few inches from the feeding birds.  With advance notice, I would be willing to welcome a group of up to 12 people in the condo.  There would be no charge for this.
 
If anyone would wish to stay overnight here at the Kandahar, that can also be arranged.  Our weekends are all booked at this point, but there are many weekdays where we could accomodate a one or two night stay.  Condos are two bedroom, two bathroom units, that rent for $350 a night through March 11; $400 a night from March 12  through March 26; and $200 a night from March 27 through April 2.  Arrangements for these can be made by calling our office at 575-776-2226.
 
The finches are a daily pleasure for us here and the Kandahar!

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Date: February 17, 2008
From: Nancy & Steve Cox

We had a good day.  As usual the birds came in waves.  Today they were spaced about an hour apart.  We would catch twenty at a time and then we would have to wait for them to come back.  We newly banded 28 birds (22 Brown-capped, 2 Blacks, and 4 Gray-crowned - all interior race).  That brings our season total to 408 birds (253 Brown-capped, 70 Blacks, and 85 Gray-crowned - 25 Hepburn's).  The total for all seasons is 1605 birds (355 Brown-capped, 927 Blacks, and 323 Gray-crowned.)

We had 64 recaptures (46 Brown-capped, 3 Blacks, and 15 Gray-crowned (12 interiors and 3 Hepburn's).  Of these recaptures, we had 3 that were from the 2006/2007 season.  Two of them were Blacks and one was a Gray-crowned Interior.  We have now seen 36 birds from previous seasons.

We also banded a male Hairy Woodpecker.  It was an after third year bird.  It was very nice to look at but a handful - just ask Michael.

The road is clear.
Nancy & Steve

==================
Date: February 10, 2008
From: Nancy & Steve Cox

Hi all,
It started off slowly this morning but we managed to band a total of 32 new birds today.  We banded 27 more Brown-capped , 1 Black, and 4 Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches (all interior race).  Today was the first time this season that we banded no new Hepburn's.
We recaptured 3 Hepburn's from this season, one interior Gray-crowned, 2 Blacks, and 15 Brown-capped.  All the recaptures (21 in all) were from this season's banding.

We saw a Northern Goshawk on the drive up and Cassin's Finches were seen on the drive down.  The road conditions were fine but there are deep drifts so be cautious if you want to park on the side of the road.

Nancy & Steve

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[Snipped from the Arizona-New Mexico RBA NATIONAL BIRDING HOTLINE COOPERATIVE AZ/NM Birds]

Date: February 7, 2008
From: Philip Kline

I took advantage of an Albuquerque meeting this week to make the rosy-finch pilgrimage to Sandia Crest this morning and was well rewarded.  Views were spectacular on the observation deck and I even managed to get a photo of all 3 species, plus Hepburn's in the same frame.  Brown-capped were most numerous and were quite variable with many first winter birds and a few that came pretty close to the gray-crowned end of the spectrum.  There were also quite a few gray-crowned, including at least 3 Hepburn's and about a dozen blacks.  A couple of red-breasted nuthatches, a dozen or so mountain chickadees, a pair of Steller's jays, and two gray-headed dark-eyed juncos braved the elements with the rosy-finches at the top.  It was quite windy (13F at the top) and I didn't see much else on the Crest Road...
Good birding, Philip Kline

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[The movie is entitled "Lover's Ranch, and filming starts tomorrow.  Dave's note highlights the fact that only a small minority of  visiting birders sign the sightings log. Even though the entries may become repetitive and "boring," they are a measure of the importance of birders to the local economy.  The Crest House is not a big tourist destination when the temperature is near zero and the wind is whipping the snow. So, don't forget to jot down your sightings. Ken]

Date: February 7, 2008
From: Dave Weaver

Hi Ken,
Went up to the Crest today, so here is a Log update.   There were about a dozen people there while I was there, all with expensive cameras and scopes. They were not part of any particular group, though.  Gene [Resident Manager of Crest House] was happy for the business as things have been rather slow of late. The road up is in good shape, with only a little bit of ice in shady corners.  There is another movie crew setting up a cabin on the first part of the Nature Trail just down from the outhouses and taking up most of the lower parking lots, but they do not seem to be bothering the birds at all...

Dave

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Date: February 3, 2008
From: Nancy & Steve Cox

Hi all,
The weather was a major factor today.  Winds were gusting 50+ mph with blowing snow.  The temperature was in the high teens, making the wind chill very uncomfortable.  However, we did [capture 36 and] manage to band another 8 Brown-capped Rosy-Finches and 3 more Gray-crowned (1 Hepburn's).  We had 25 recaptures (5 Blacks, 5 Gray-crowned and 15 Brown-capped).  One of the repeat Blacks was first banded during the  winter 2006/2007 season.   We did quit earlier than normal due to the weather.

The roads were snow packed with some drifting snow but passable.  Nancy & Steve

==================
Date: February 3, 2008
From: Gil Bachmann

Hello!
I have been reading with interest your articles about Rosy Finches and the project you started at Sandia Peaks [sic].  Many thanks for the work you have done there!
 
I am a new resident at Taos Ski Valley, having moved here from Southwest Missouri.  I have been very engaged in feeding and informally observing birds in the Ozarks and in Kansas from a very young age.  It was with great pleasure that I was introduced to the Rosy Finches here at TSV.  And what an introduction!  As the winter progressed, the flock that visits daily grew to what I estimate to be upwards of 300 birds.  I'm new at identification of the three types of Rosy Finch, but I'm sure all are represented, including Hepburn's.
 
I am interested in making contact with some Rosy enthusiasts, both to learn more about the species and its preservation and to share in the enjoyment of observing these wonderful creatures.  I understand that you no longer live in NM, but I'm wondering if you can put me in contact with some local people who share your interests.
 
Any help will be much appreciated.  Thank you!
 
[Yes, Gil-- I copied your e-mail to several Rosy-Finch enthusiasts who will be interested, as will I, in any of your observations. It would be interesting if you could provide reports of abundance and species mix, and I will be happy to share them on rosyfinch.com.  If you are seeing Gray-crowned species, the number of Hepburn's subspecies might be reported as a subtotal, as there have been interesting fluctuation in their abundance from year to year.You might also try to notice how many birds are banded, and which leg the band is on. This winter, one of my contacts who bands winter birds in Estes Park, Colorado, has noted almost no rosy-finches. Last year he had an abundance of Brown-capped, when they were quite scarce at Sandia Crest. You may have noticed how Brown-capped are much more numerous this year in New Mexico. (By the way, it is Sandia Crest, not "Sandia Peak," which is the ski area, more than a mile away and does not have feeders.)  Your main contacts would be Steve and Nancy Cox, who supervise the banding operation at Sandia Crest. Raymond Van Buskirk works closely with them.  Many other volunteers are also engaged in the rosy-finch project (too numerous to mention them all), but I can use rosyfinch.com as a conduit for information as appropriate. Good birding!  Ken]

[Gil Bachmann replies, in part]

...I should introduce myself further.  I have just taken on the job as General Manager at the Kandahar Condominiums here in Taos Ski Valley.  I have heard a few comments about Rosy Finches coming here in the winter, but recent Google searches have hinted of the importance the Kandahar might play in the enjoyment and research of these birds.
 
There have been times that I have walked up the the feeders on the back deck and have gotten within 12 inches of Rosy Finches at the feeder.  And several hundred can be seen at a time at feeders that are just a few feet from an array of plate glass windows.  I'm sure there is a way to share this experience with Rosy enthusiasts without interrupting our service to our guests.  I'm interested in finding a way.  Using rosyfinch.com sounds like a great place to start.  I have no objection to posting information from these e-mails to rosyfinch.com.   I have been looking for rosy finches with bands, and have seen none since I began paying attention to that 4-5 days ago.
 
A preliminary observation on the number of Hepburn's finches is that there might be 2 to every 25 or 50 finches.  This is just a general impression at this time.  I will back it up with more careful counting later on...

[Congratulations on your new position! Taos is a beautiful place all year around. The Kandahar feeders were the greatest and just about the only place in New Mexico to see the finches in any numbers, until we started the feeder project at Crest House in 1999. The accessibility of Albuquerque has drawn greater attention to Sandia Crest by rosy-finch researchers and birders. Taos has the skiers providing such a great demand for hospitality services, but the Sandia Crest House is 7 miles up the road from the base of the Sandia Peak ski area. Most skiers do not venture up there, and birders appear to have a positive impact on winter traffic and presumably, business, thus there is a real incentive for management to be birder-friendly. The present management has been extremely tolerant and helpful. Interest in the rosy-finches is infectious. Many casual visitors, once they understand why there are so many birders there, rapidly turn into "spotters" and some have become quite skilled at identifying the rosy-finch flocks and even the species. Having educational material such as a poster on site helps cultivate interest and may minimize some of the perplexity or even annoyance that patrons might exhibit. Ken]

==================
Date: January 2, 2008
From: Fran Lusso & Dave Weaver

Hi Ken,
Just back from the Crest - about 10 degrees and windy. A little new snow, but not much.  Lots of bird watchers.
We ran out of log pages for a few days so there is a little gap from 1/23 to 1/27 when we printed more and asked Nancy to bring them up on the banding trip.
The road conditions were essentially clear to 9 Mile with some ice/snow packed sections above that.
 
Hope you are staying warmer than we are up here in NM!!
Regards,
Fran & Dave

==================
Date: January 29, 2008
From: Eileen Beaulieu (Ryan's Mom)

Good afternoon Ken and Mary Lou,

I hope you're both doing well and that your grandbabies and children are healthy and grand!

This year’s Rosy finch project seems to be going extremely well.  I’m so happy for them!  It was exciting to hear there were recaptures last weekend from the 2005 winter season, perhaps Ryan has been around?  We've had a number of synchronicities occur during the past week and attribute them to him.  Ryan's step dad Ray said just this morning,  “You never know..............it's probably amazing what we are not aware of or capable of perceiving.”  The attached letter came in the mail yesterday and it made me feel so wonderful, I just had to share it with you and ask if you wouldn’t mind putting it on Ryan’s web site.  Jenny is a young lady that he had a crush on when he was 16.  They sort of dated and he was very smitten with her.  I wish I could convey to her how my heart felt when I opened the letter and read it.  I reread it several times because it meant so much to know he was still affecting her life and that she cared enough to let me know.  The letter is sweet and wonderful.  As you know, we never forget our children they are alive in us perhaps even more when we lose them.  When a parent, who has lost a child, as you and I have, is sent a message such as the one she sent, it means so much to know our child is still remembered and continues to have an affect on others lives.

Thank you

Your friend always

Eileen

[This letter and the attached note from Jennifer is posted on the continuation of  Ryan Bealulieu's Memorial Page.  I cannot help but think that the Brown-capped Rosy-Finch that was recaptured this weekend from the winter of 2004-2005 may have been banded by Ryan-- and that he kissed it before it lofted from his hand. Up, away into the blue sky, with Ryan thinking"Their pink is like no other pink you've ever seen. And I love how they come down in this huge, swirling flock and just the whole living-on-top of the mountain thing."  Ken]

==================
[The banding team has quite a glowing report today.  A remarkably large number of Gray-crowned species. Ken]

Date: January 27, 2006
From: Steve and Nancy Cox

Hi all,

We had an amazing day today.  We banded 83 more Rosy-Finches.  Fifty-three of them were Brown-capped, 7 were Blacks, and 23 were Gray-crowns (8 Hepburn's and 15 Interior).  That brings us to a total banded this season of 337 (196 BC, 67 BL, 74 GC).

We also had many recaptures (119) but many of those were same day repeats as well as same season repeats.  We did get another Black and Gray-crowned (Hepburn's) from last season (2006/2007), 4 more Blacks from the 2005/2006 season and best of all, one Brown-capped from the winter of 2004/2005.  That makes a total of 32 birds that are from previous seasons (4 from 2004/2005, 11 from 2005/2006 and 17 from 2006/2007).

Some of you did not get our results from last week-end.  We banded 24 Brown-capped, 1 Black, and 6 Gray-crowned (1 Hepburn's and 5 Interiors) for a total of 31 birds.  We only recaptured 3 birds and they were all from this winter season.

We can't wait to see what happens next Sunday.  Hope to see many of you then. Thanks to all the people who have helped make this whole project possible. Nancy & Steve

==================
Date: January 24, 2008
From: Dave Weaver

Hi Ken aand Mary Lou,

I went up to the Crest today, so here is a Log update.  One of the entries contained illegible script, so I have guessed.  Two entries included only the time and a name but no sighting information, so I have excluded those.  In any case, here it is.

The road up to the Crest was okay today, with only a dusting of new snow above 9,000 feet.  There was a thick ice fog, though, coating surfaces with rime crystals and making visibility about 200 feet from the 9 mile post to the top.  Cold and windy at the top.  A great day for the finches, though.  More snow is expected this weekend.

Hope all is well for you two!  Dave

==================
Date: January 20, 2008
From: Raymond VanBuskirk

Hello all,
 
We had a fairly low number day, with only 31 banded. The finches spent most of their time flying around and eating off the ground, probably due to the low snow fall at the crest. We did however have 24 new Brown-capped,6 new Gray-crowned (with 1 being a Hepburn's) 1 new Black, and 3 repeats from this year. We also banded a new Cassin's Finch and a new Steller's Jay.
 
Cheers and Good Birding,  Raymond 

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Date: January 16, 2007
From: Dave Weaver

Hi Ken,

We are just down from the Crest, so I have attached a Log update.  The road up is fine, although the parking is pretty icy and slick in spots and does demand caution.  At 10:30am it was minus 4 degrees F with winds in the 20 - 30 mph range, so it was cold enough for most folks.  The weather report calls for even colder temperatures for the rest of the week and a possibility of snow tonight.  Real winter at last!  No other news of consequence, I guess.  Hope all is well with you folks!  Best,
Dave

==================
[Note that banding time is now  a bit more convenient for visiting birders, who now may enter the Crest House to observe nearly the entire operation.. Ken]

Date: January 13, 2008
From: Steve and Nancy Cox

Hi all,

The interesting thing for  today, 0 banded Black Rosy-Finches.  The Black Rosy-finches were seen in good numbers; they just would not go in the traps for us.  We did band another 34 Brown-capped and 9 Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches (2 more Hepburn's, 7 Interiors).  We had 5 recaptures, none from any previous season.  Our totals now, after 5 days, are 119 Brown-capped, 59 Blacks, and 45 Gray-crowned (15 of which are Hepburn's).

There were quite a few folks observing today.  Most of them from San Diego, California, but some from the Albuquerque area who had never been to the Crest before.
The roads are very good right now.   However, you must use caution crossing the parking lot.
Raymond and Michael led a group to look for the Three-toed Woodpecker.  They did hear one but did not see it.  They also heard one Red Crossbill...

I am attaching the files I have updated including a banding schedule that shows 9:30 a.m. as our starting time. We figure it will be easier if we just use 9:30 as a standard for people to see.  We still will probably get in before that and set up the traps.

Hope you are doing well and we are glad to hear you will be out here next month.  Will you be up while we are banding?  We would love to see you.  We are constantly hearing praises for your web site. Many people think we are the ones responsible but I  make sure to give you the credit.

Nancy

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Date: January 9, 2008
From: Fran Lusso & Dave Weaver

Hi Ken,
We went up to the Crest today and have attached the log.  We've been having snow showers out here the last few days and there is a good amount of snow on the mountain.  The road is clear except for a few places in the shade where it's a bit slick.  According to the Crest House staff, there have been many birders up to visit.
Best to you and MaryLou!
Fran & Dave

==================
[The Brown-capped Rosy-Finches continue to be much more abundant than in previous winters. Hepburns represent about 14% of the Gray-crowned species banded so far this year. Birders are also abundant-- about 20 observers were still at the Crest House when I called at around 11 AM. I hope they are signing the log!  Nancy also reports that  this year they now have 25 recaptures from previous seasons: "3 BC from 2004/2005, 2 BL from 2005/2006, 1 GC from 2005/2006, 4 BC from 2005/2006, 10 BL from 2006/2007, 4 GC from 2006/2007 and 1 BC from 2006/2007." Ken]

Date: December 30, 2007
From: Nancy and Steve Cox

Hi all,

We had another good day even though we only had 4 repeats.  We had one Gray-crowned that we originally banded on 1/21/2007.  The other 3 repeats were from this season.

We banded a total of 51 birds today.  That includes 34 Brown-capped Rosy-Finches for a total of 85 for this winter season, 5  Blacks for a total of 59 for this season, and 12 Gray-Crowned Rosy-Finches (3 Hepburn's and 9 Interiors) for a total of 36 (23 Interior and 13 Hepburn's) for this winter.  Our total of newly banded birds for this season is 180 birds. We missed having our teenagers (including the older teenager Bill Talbot) who were doing the Peloncillo Christmas Bird Count. There was quite the crowd of observers today. The road to the crest has a few icy spots especially in the shaded areas.

Thanks to all of you who came up and helped today.

Nancy & Steve

==================
Date: December 30, 2007
From: Joe Sutherland, Byfield, MA

Hello,

I was visiting friends in Santa Fe for Christmas.  On the 27th I drove up to the summit at Sandia Crest arriving about 7 AM.  Saw a beautiful sunrise and all three species of Rosies.  They were there in good numbers I would estimate at least 150 birds, and seemed to be greater than 50 % Brown-capped.  Also had some Mountain Chickadees, Dark Eyed Junco, Stellar Jays, and two Ravens.

Best Regards,  Joe

==================
[We have noted relatively few entries in the sightings log the past two weeks. Yet there seem to be birders visiting the Crest House daily, often in groups. Please make a point of jotting down your sightings. The Crest House is still up for sale, and it is important to make prospective buyers aware of the economic importance of continuing the birder-friendly policies of the present management. Ken]
.
Date: December 26, 2007
From: Dave & Fran Weaver

Hi Ken, We are just down from the Crest and other errands, so I have attached a Log update.  There still are not many recorded sightings, although the folks at the Crest assure us that the birds are there "all the time".  Like you, I suspect that many people just do not fill out the log.  But of course we will take what we get.

The road to the Crest is largely clear with thin icy patches in shaded areas but it is pretty easy and safe right now.  More snow is expected up there tonight and again late in the week. Well, that's it for now.  We hope you and yours had a wonderful Holiday! Best, Dave

==================
[Check out the links in Christopher's e-mail. He has some extroadinary photos and interpretive information about each of the three rosy-finch species. Ken]

Date: December 18, 2007
From: Christopher Taylor

Hi there - I sent this e-mail to the AZ/NM birding listserv - so thought I would forward this on so you can
update your site:


Thanks for the great information on your site - it proved very helpful
during my trip to NM this past week!!

Also feel free to use my pictures on your site if you wish. I'd love to
get a link back to my site though on your links page if you could
please!

Thank you!!   Christopher Taylor Marina del Rey, CA www.kiwifoto.com

==================
[Dave offers some good advice about driving in the snow and ice. Look out for drivers going downhill, especially if you are coming up on the outside of the curve. Curves tend to be more shaded and ice/blowing drifts are more common there than on the straightaways. Ken] 

Date: December 13, 2007
From: Dave Weaver

Hi Ken,
We are just back from the Crest, so I have attached a brief Log update.  Only about a foot on snow on the ground at the top but the road is intermittently icy, mostly in the shade, from about Tree Spring trailhead to the top.  It's no problem if people proceed with caution, but there were a number of people driving too fast for the conditions, especially going downhill.
Dave

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Date: December 9, 2007
From: Nancy & Steve Cox

Hi Ken,
We had another fantastic day.  We handled 85 Rosy-Finches today, 40 of which were recaptures.  We have now recaptured a total of 24 Rosy-Finches from previous seasons.  Three Brown-capped Rosy-Finches were originally banded in December 2004.  Seven birds came from the winter 2005-2006 (2 Blacks, 1 Gray-crowned, and 4 Brown-capped).  Fourteen were originally banded during the winter 2006-2007 (10 Blacks, 3 Gray-crowned, and 1 Brown-capped). We newly banded another 45 birds (19 Brown-capped, 12 Blacks, and 14 Gray-crowned).  Our totals for this season: 51 Brown-capped, 54 Blacks, and 24 Gray-crowned (10 were Hepburn's).

The roads were icy with a couple of inches of fresh snow.  Please use caution when driving to the top. Thanks to all.

I am attaching the file I have with the day by day results per year and also the results by year. [I have added a link to the Excel file on the Sightings page. Ken]

Nancy & Steve

==================
Date: December 6, 2007
From: Dave Weaver

Hi Ken,
Here is the latest log update.  There was almost no snow left up at the Crest today, but more is expected starting tonight or tomorrow and perhaps lasting for a few days.

Cool pictures of those eagles!  I have never seen them mating except in flight. [Dave is referring to photos I took of Bald Eagles mating on a rooftop a few doors from our home in Florida. Ken]

Best to you both! Dave

==================
[The members of the banding team, after only two sessions have already newly banded 84 rosy-finches plus 34 recaptures. Ken]

Date: December 2, 2007
From: Nancy & Steve Cox

Hi all,
It was another good day of banding at the Crest House.  Probably our best item to report is that we caught a Brown-capped Rosy-Finch that we originally banded on December 30, 2004.  It was a hatch year female then so it is now a 4th year bird. The Brown-capped Rosy-Finches are in good numbers.  We banded 20 of them along with 23 Blacks and 9 Gray-crowns (4 of which were Hepburn's) for a total of 52 Rosy-Finches.  We also  banded a Red-breasted Nuthatch that was with a group of rosy-finches when we pushed the button to close the trap doors.

We had 30 recaptures, 2  were Gray-crowns (Interior race) that we originally banded on January 7, 2007.  One was in its second year when we banded it and the other was what we call after second year.  The breakdown of the recaptures was:  13 Brown-capped, 15 Blacks, and 2 Gray-crowned.

The roads were icy from Capulin up to the top but we had a lot of people helping us today.  Thank you all very much.  We appreciate the help and seeing all those friendly faces.  We also got to meet 2 visitors from Maine who seemed to enjoy the Rosy-Finches.

Nancy & Steve

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Date: November 27, 2007
From: Dave Weaver

Hi Ken,  I just came down from the Crest, so I have attached the latest Log update.  The road up to the Crest is mostly clear except for icy patches in the shade and is passable for anyone who is careful about the melt on top of the ice at the edges of the shade...  Best,
Dave

==================
[I had no trouble viewing this film, though I had to allow several (apparently innocent) popups to operate. The first Chapter is excellent-- it features the ecology of the Sandias-- its microclimates, the ladybug swarms, the stunted trees, rattlesnakes, and includes great views. The rosy-finch banding is featured near the end of the first Chapter. There are great film segments of various species and the crowded feeders at the Crest House.  Don't miss it! Ken]

Date: November 26, 2007
From: Nancy Cox

Hi Ken,
You can see the PBS documentary on the Sandias on line now.  You go to knmetv.org/sandias.  You then have to click on the photos to get it started.  I had a problem with viewing it on my computer. I only got to see the first 10 minutes or so.  It told me I had performed an illegal plugin.  I haven't tried it since then.  Maybe you will have better success.  It really shows the Sandias in a great light.  No pun intended.  You will understand that after you see it.  A lot of the funding came from the Tricentennial Celebration and they put lights up on the Crest as part of that celebration.  Therefore there is a lot of footage on the lighting of the Sandias.  We have had a lot of people congratulate us on our segment.  Unfortunately all we did was be up there and allowed them to film us.  We really were frustrated that the time they picked was one rare occasion when Raymond was not with us.  He was with his sister in Phoenix where she was playing in a soccer tournament.

Nancy

==================
[Great results from the first day of banding. Ken!]

Date: November 25, 2007
From: Nancy and Steve Cox

Hi all,
This was our 1st day for the Rosy-Finch Project 2007-2008 season.  There was approx. 10 inches of snow from the Thursday - Saturday storm. It was a good day.  We banded 19 Black Rosy-Finches, 12 Brown-capped and 1 Gray-crowned (Hepburn's) for a total of 32 Rosy-Finches.  It may be a good year for Brown caps.  Last year we banded a total of only 8 Brown-capped Rosy-Finches.  We also saw several previously banded Brown-caps but we never got them in the traps.  We did recapture 3 Black-Rosy Finches - 2 were originally banded in December 2006 and the 3rd was first banded in November 2005 as an after hatch year, making it at least 3 years old.  Tthe repeat Black Rosy-Finch that was from 2005 was also caught in January 2007.

We also banded 1 Steller's Jay, 1 male Cassin's Finch, and 2 Pine Siskins.  Our next time up is next Sunday (December 2nd).  Please join us if you can at 9:30 a.m.

Nancy & Steve

==================
[Banding will start a week earlier than originally planned! Quite a bit of snow has fallen since Thanksgiving. Check the weather and road conditions, as well as the live Web cam views of conditions at PaaKo Ridge, near the bottom of the Crest Road.  (links on rosyfinch.com main page). Ken]

Date: November 23, 2007
From: Steve and Nancy Cox

Hi all,
We couldn't resist with the new snow falling, so we  twisted Raymond's arm to start banding this Sunday (Nov. 25).  He gave in.   As you all know the Crest House officially opens at 9:30 am. and that we usually descend on the Crest House at 9:00 am to get set up.  The year Gene (the Crest House) is requesting that we keep the "set up" crew to 5 or less and then everybody else can come in after they officially open the door.  He has been so good to us so I hope you all won't mind this change.

Nancy & Steve

==================
Date: November 11, 2007
From: Fran Lusso and Dave Weaver

Hello Ken,
Just back for a trip to the Crest.  It is a beautiful clear, mild Fall day here and the mountain was quite busy!  We've attached the updated log.  Looks like the rosies are cooperating quite nicely with the birders already.
 
We met and had a nice chat with Mary and Ray Reed.  I'm sure you know them.  It was Mary's birthday and she said she told Ray that that's what she wanted to do, even though the rosies probably weren't in yet.  So she had a nice birthday present when they saw 2 different flocks come in to feed.
 
They had also brought up some friends to see the rosies...
 
All is currently quiet on the Crest House sale front.  No new news.
 
Best to you and MaryLou.
Fran & Dave

==================
Look for the banding crew, beginning on Sunday, December 2. The proposed schedule is posted here. Remember that birders do not have access to Crest House until it opens, at 9:30 AM. Bad weather can delay opening time or even result in closure, as staff must make their way up before the facility can safely open to the public. Ken

Date: November 10, 2007
From: Nancy S. Cox

Hi all,

Several of us went to the Sandia Crest this morning for a few hours to check on the Rosy-Finches.  We did not set up our traps but just watched the birds.  We were impressed.  A flock of about 25 birds came in several times throughout the morning and many of them were already banded.  In fact, we saw at least 2 Brown-capped, 1 Gray-crowned and 6 Blacks that were banded.  We probably saw a total of 4 Brown-capped, 3 Gray-crowned and 18 Blacks.

I am attaching our proposed banding schedule for this winter.  We will be starting on December 2, 2007.  We are trying to avoid the CBC time period so there are several Sundays that are missing from the schedule.

By the way, KNME will be presenting a documentary they filmed on the Sandias on Monday the 12th at 9 p.m.  It will be repeating on November 15th at 7 p.m.  It has a small segment on the Rosy-Finches.  Beth Hurst-Waitz and I got to go to the premiere of it last Tuesday.  Even without the Rosy-Finches, it is a gorgeous documentary.  The producer got a standing ovation. [From KNME Web site: "The Sandias: Just east of Albuquerque, the Sandia Mountains explode up out of the land. There is perhaps no other American city so dominated by a natural landmark. Endlessly beautiful, awe inspiring, ever changing and timeless, the Sandias are a monument to wildness, a refuge, an oasis and a source of life."]

Hope to see many of you up there.  The food was still as good as ever.  It was great to see the staff up there as well as the Rosy-Finches.  Nancy

[Thanks, Nancy. We wish we could see the KNME film. We are now in Amarillo awaiting the birth of our 8th grandchild. Yesterday, our Southwest Airlines flight from Chicago connected through Albuquerque. We were swept by a wave of nostalgia as we descended through Tijeras Canyon. Sandia Crest was clearly visible in the twilight. Ken  and Mary Lou]

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Date: November 1, 2007
From: Nancy S. Cox

Hi Ken and Mary Lou et al.,

I just read on the Arizona/NM listserve that the Rosy-Finches have arrived!  That is impressive.

Raymond [VanBuskirk] and Steve [Cox] have quite a few commitments in November so we had planned to start banding on the 2nd of December.  I think I will plan to go up earlier than that just to look for repeats (and of course, to get some chicken quesadillas).  We will send out a schedule soon.

Hope to see you all up there during the season.
Nancy

==================
The rosy-finches have arrived! This is the earliest arrival date since we began the feeding project in 1999.

Date: October 31, 2007
From: Fran Lusso and Dave Weaver, Coordinators of Rosy Finch Project

Hi Ken,
Well, we put the feeders up today and within 5 minutes there was a gray crowned chowing down!  So I think you can start the flag waving!  Dave also saw 2 black rosies, mt chickadees and dark eyed juncos.  A turkey vulture was also seen circling.  Ours was the only entry into the log.  I've attached the start of the log for this season [LINK HERE].
 
Smooty [Aaron Smoot of the Crest House staff] and Tony said they thought they had seen small flocks over the past couple of weeks, but didn't get a good enough look to be positive.
 
As for the sale of the Crest House, all seems to be stalled at this point... The Crest House is still officially up for sale...
 
Here's to another great Rosy season!
Fran & Dave

==================
Date: October 29, 2007
From: Audrey

Hi Ken & Mary Lou--I have enjoyed viewing your website, and was hoping you could answer a question for me.

My husband and I are hoping to move to Tijeras soon. I'm wondering if we'll be seeing many of the same birds you have on your website, or if the elevation difference between Sandia Crest and Tijeras will provide us with significantly different species. Curious as to your thoughts on this. thank you,
Audrey

- - - - -
[Hi, Audrey,

 We lived in Cedar Crest, at 7000 feet elevation. Tijeras may be a bit lower, maybe 6000+. However, you would likely see almost all the birds we saw in our yard. They are listed on our "back yard birds" page: http://www.rosyfinch.com/birdlist.html

Some of the birds at Sandia Crest are quite limited to the very high regions. The rosy-finches, American Three-toed Woodpecker, the occasional Pine Grosbeak and the Clark's Nutcracker, and summer residents such as the White-throated Swift would not likely be found down in Tijeras Canyon. When the Pine Siskins, Cassin's Finches and Red Crossbills decide to invade, they may be found nearly everywhere. Otero Canyon, just to your south, is a great spot for birding.

 In fact, some nice birds such as the Blue, Black-headed and Evening Grosbeak, Canyon Towhee and Lesser Goldfinch really do not venture up much higher on the mountain. You can look forward to seeing some very nice birds all year long. (I miss them!).  Thanks for writing,  Ken]

- - - - -
Ken, thank you so much! I am very excited about moving to the East Mountains and seeing these birds. I live in Southern California, and with the exception of the Lesser Goldfinch and an occasional Blue Grosbeak, I never get to see the birds you mentioned. I plan to put out lots of feeders when we move so I can get good looks at all of them from my home.

I see you are in Florida now. A big change from the East Mountains. I'll bet you miss more than just the birds. :-)

Audrey

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Good news about plans to protect "The Bird Log" at Capulin Springs!

Date: September 18, 2007
From: Melissa Howard

Hi, Ken and Mary Lou,
 
You probably already know this, but in case you don't . . .
 
A group of Audubon people met with Forest Service people on Aug. 17 and reached agreement on some key points about Capulin Spring:

• the upper picnic table will be replaced with a bench;
• the log will be replaced;
• a new overflow pipe will be installed;
• a fence will be put up to keep people from walking too close to the log and compacting the ground;
• a sign saying "Quiet, Wildlife Observation Area" will be put up; and
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