Six Hundred Rosy-Finches in Colorado Back Yard

[Rosyfinch]

I received this note from Beverly Jensen, who lives in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in south central  Colorado. It includes a link to her delightful blog. I forwarded it to the Rio Grande Bird Research team for their information. This FORUM is one place for all rosy-finch banders to share their experiences. Steve and Nancy Cox of RGBR start their fall banding at Rio Grande Nature Center on September 4, continuing most Saturday and Sunday mornings through November 7, which is about the time that the rosy-finches begin arriving at Sandia Crest. By mid-November they should be banding at Crest House most Sunday mornings from 9:30 AM. No rest for the weary! We hope that Beverly will keep us informed about her sightings and the results of her efforts to get some rosy-finch research started in her own back yard. Wouldn't it be interesting if some of the Sandia Crest birds turn up there (and vice versa)!

Ken

Dear Ken,

Not realizing my note would be 'published' I just posted this note on your 10/08 Rosy-Finch Ramblings regarding Supporting Research:

    For the past 2.5 years, I have been feeding birds in my La Veta, Huerfano Co., CO yard. I noticed several, almost tame, birds that first winter. I called them ‘Pink-butts’…and eventually came to know I was being visited by all three Rosy-finches.

Feeding them from December to April has caused more and more to come; last season I had as many as 600 mixed flocks (all three species, Hepburns’ etc) coming on a daily basis. Jason Beason (Special Monitoring Projects Coordinator/Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory) has expressed interest in the possibility (depending on funding) of banding here. He also mentioned the possibility of sharing resources with you folks at Sandia…should you also be interested in these numerous birds that regularly visit my yard.

IS that something you might be interested in? I have not observed bands on the birds here…but then, with so many on the ground at once, I found it hard to see feet! This year I will have my pond finished…so look forward to offering an even more inviting place for them to dine.   LOL

Anyway, in case nobody monitors that 'old' page...I thought I'd also send it to you...directly.  Next month another biologist-type from CA may visit to band the Evening Grosbeaks that seem to live here all year; there are a couple dozen here now...with fledglings in tow. During the winter, I get numbers upwards of 50 of these beautiful birds, too.

I really like the idea of helping.  I'm blessed with a large lot, near the river and surrounded by huge trees. The yard itself is open...so these birds love feeding here.  I plant additional native bushes and shrubs around the perimeter, let the wild grasses grow high near the fences and use no pesticides or herbicides.  I do hope you or those you've worked with might be interested in working with Mr. Beason...or some other part of this wild idea.  I understand 600 of these birds at a time is awesome...I'd love to share!

I hope to hear from you soon, even if it's that you forwarded this note to others...

Beverly Jensen
La Veta, Huerfano Co., Colorado
www.RuralChatter.blogspot.com

[Beverly Jensen]

Thank you so much for posting my note...where it belongs!  

It seems you folks (understandably) see the Rosies earlier in the year, than do I.  Here in South Central Colorado, they arrive in my yard the first week of December and are totally gone by the first week of April.  Of course, at first they only come when the weather higher up is bad (I'm at 7000'), but by February and March they are here daily.  The numbers quickly dwindle by the end of March...last year a few still came in April 5th or so.

I have never seen a banded Rosy-finch in the flocks that come here.  I don't know if it's because I wasn't really looking or that I'm almost always looking down at them...they land at my feet while I'm tossing Black-oil Sunflower Seed.  Even the (poor) photos I get...don't show any jewelry on their legs.  I believe these birds are also banded at the Rocky Mtn. National Park.  Between the two of you, you'd think some banded birds would show up here, huh?

At any rate, with the numbers growing every year they come...and last winter having 5-600 birds at a time visit, there is no telling how many more will be here this year.  I'll be ready.  And I hope someone is able to make use of the fact that they're here.  Of course, anyone is welcome to come watch, too.

If, when visiting my little blog, one clicks a 'Label' in the list that starts half-way down the page...in the right-hand column, you can bring up all the posts that have to do with that topic.  Rosy-finch, for example, has ten such posts.  

You can keep up with what's happening in my yard on the blog, but I'll also be back here when the Rosy-finch arrive.  I'll keep better records, too.  I sure hope someone can make use of this 'windfall' of birds.

Thanks again,
Beverly

[Rosyfinch]

Hi, Beverly--

Yes, Scott Rashid of Estes Park, Colorado does band rosy-finches. His rosy-finch banding statistics may be viewed on his website: www.scottrashid.com

Although I have corresponded with Scott many times over the years, I finally had a chance to meet him this past June at YMCA of the Rockies, where he provided a banding demonstration for the guests. Here is Scott showing us a Chipping Sparrow he just banded:



Kim M. Potter, Wildlife Technician at White River National Forest in Colorado has also been banding rosy-finches. In January, 2009 she recaptured a Rosy-Finch that had been banded at Sandia Crest almost exactly one year previously.  
 
Here is her e-mail and the reply from Nancy Cox of Rio Grande Bird Research:

Date: January 30, 2009
From: Kim M. Potter, Wildlife Technician, White River National Forest [Colorado]

Greetings,

We started banding Rosy-Finches this year on January 21st.  We band one day per week (Wednesdays at Snowmass Mountain) and we have banded 90 Rosy-Finches so far the season.  The first stormy day was our best day.  Wednesday we captured a banded Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch with the following band number 2291-41732 and are wondering if this is one of your birds.  If not I was wondering what number series of bands you are using so I can recognize one right away when we finally do capture one of your Rosy-Finches.  In 2006-2007 we had 1331-09742 thru 1331-01000.  Now we have 2291-53000 series.  Thanks for the information.  Kim

Nancy replied:

This is great information.  We banded this bird on a year ago on 1/20/2008.   We called it an AHY Female.

I will get band numbers for you at a later date.

Species mix and especially the number of Hepburns seen over the years can provide interesting information.

The influx of the Coastal (Hepburn's) race of Gray-crowned Rosy-finches at Sandia Crest peaked in the winter of 2006-07, when the team banded 104 birds (representing over 13% of all rosy-finches banded that winter). The previous winter marked the first captures of the Hepburn's race (5 birds). In the winter of 2007-08 the percentage of Hepburn's decreased to 29 birds (6%). The next winter they represented only only 6 of the 221 captures (less than 3%).

Little seems to be known about the reasons for fluctuations in species mix from one winter to another. We have seen unusual patterns of abundance in the Brown-capped species as well, both at Sandia Crest and in Estes Park,Colorado. This is an area ripe for research into possible factors, whether they may be related to climate variations, local weather or habitat changes on breeding grounds or migratory routes, food supply, population pressures, and so on. Do they correlate with the irruptive behavior of other northern finches? The spreadsheets at this link   provide day-by-day banding statistics, compiled since 2004. Their analysis may provide a starting point for further research.