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Look for target species and directions to birding spots in the Sandias and nearby New Mexico (e.g., "pygmy-owl" or "Capulin Spring"), and use the Site Map to explore all these pages:

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Q.  Several readers have asked about the best time of day to see the Rosy-Finches.  A.  We have seen  them at all times of day.  They have been reliable in the morning around 9 to 10 AM.  The Crest House opens at 9:30 AM, providing access to the hanging feeder on the patio  (and hot coffee or a late breakfast).  No matter what time you arrive, plan to stay at least two hours, especially early in the season when they seem to aggregate into one or two large flocks.  The number of tourists increases later in the day, especially on weekends.  Human disturbance may cause the birds to stop only briefly or avoid the deck feeder as well as the lower feeder next to the parking lot.  The Rosy-Finches will also avoid visiting a feeder when Steller's Jay is present.

Q.  Where and when may Pine Grosbeaks be found at or near Sandia Crest?  A.  Pine Grosbeaks are rare and irregular winter visitors to the Sandias; they do breed in the mountains of northern New Mexico.  They may show up anywhere from the Ponderosa forest to the Crest. They were seen at the Crest feeding with the Rosy-Finches once, and may appear along the higher reaches of the road to the Crest, especially in January and February when there is good snow cover.  They may be encountered foraging in the sand and salt spread on the road after a snow.  Be alert for flocks of these beautiful large finches.  Their calls can be quite loud, or the members of the flock may "talk" quietly with each other.  

Q.  I'll be visiting family in Albuquerque around Thanksgiving (or Easter).  Will the Rosy-Finches be there yet (or still)?  A.  Thanksgiving, maybe; Easter, no! We normally expected them to arrive at the beginning of December and depart . mid March  As you can see in the  table, they showed up by the 20th of November the past two years, and lingered until the end of March.  There an aberrant record in 1970, cited in Jerry Oldenettel's Rosy-Finch Web page,  of Rosy-Finches having been seen away from breeding grounds in New Mexico in mid May.   (Jerry also makes a rather profound statement about Rosy-Finch viewing at Sandia Crest:  "If the birds stick here for a few years, this could easily become the 'canonical' location for worldwide birders to get their rosy finches since it is only an hour's drive from a major international airport and the road is paved, maintained, and clear throughout the winter.")

Q.  What about seeing other winter finches?  A.  Cassin's Finches can be numerous at Sandia Crest and visited our  yard feeders  at our former home in Cedar Crest (7000 feet elevation).  During the winter of 2002-3 our feeder visitors included 10 to 25 Evening Grosbeaks, House Finches, American Goldfinches, Pine Siskins and the usual host of winter residents.   Both Evening Grosbeaks and Cassin's Finches failed to show during the winter of 2003-4.  Red Crossbills, which sometimes visit our feeder during the summer, were notable by their absence during the  winter of 2002-3, not reappearing until mid-summer 2003 when they bred in large numbers in the Sandias.   They usually appear erratically during migration and in the winter, often in large numbers. White-winged Crossbills have been seen at the Santa Fe Ski area in past years, but we were not aware of any reports during the  winter of 2002-3.  Check out the interactive maps at Cornell Lab of Ornithology's e-Bird.  Call up reports for each of the winter finch species and see if they begin to migrate down from the mountains in Wyoming and Colorado.

Q. We also have received questions about where to stay and about restaurants in the East Mountains.  A.  We can recommend Elaine's Bed and Breakfast (call 1-800-821-3092), which is on NM 14 in Cedar Crest, about 1 1/2 miles south of the Crest Road intersection.  Elaine's is birder friendly and supports the American Birding Association by advertising in "Winging It."  An advantage of staying overnight in Cedar Crest, at 7200 feet elevation, is that you will be better acclimated to spend more time at 10,678 feet the next day.  For dining, in addition to the Crest House you may wish to try birder-friendly Kokopelli's Restaurant and Kantina (click here for hours and links to menu selections), which begins serving a great breakfast on weekends and most holidays at 7:30 and is conveniently located on North 14 about a mile north of the Crest Road intersection.  Cedar Point Grille, at the 2.3 mile mark on NM 14, opens for breakfast at 7:00 AM except Monday and Wednesday.  Also, for lunch and dinner we like Ribs II Barbecue (closed Mondays) in the Turquoise Trail Shopping Center at about the 3.5 mile mark of NM 14.  Wooby's Coffee & Bistro, located in the same shopping center, offers breakfast and a deli fare, opening 6:30 AM Monday through Friday and 7:30 AM on weekends.  For a more complete list of nearby dining, lodging and shopping see:   http://www.turquoisetrail.org/members.htm

Q.  Where/when is the best place/time to see the Northern Pygmy-owl?  A.  The N. Pygmy-owl that we have seen at the base of the Ski Area several times since November 29, 2002 was also seen there by Robert Kyse on December 7, by Pat Newman on December 31, 2002, and by Ryan Beaulieu and Raymond VanBuskirk several times during  December,  2003 through February, 2004.  It has a favored perch, which is the telephone wire near the far (east) end of the parking lot that is opposite the Ski Area (near mile marker 7).  As you ascend the Crest Road, look near the first telephone pole, on the right, about 100 feet past the entrance to the Ski Area, and in nearby trees.  It is seen there most often during the winter, but may appear any time of the year.  On January 17, 2004, Tyler Bell and Jane Kostenko saw one at dusk on the power lines off the west side of NM-14 about 1/4 mile north of the Cedar Crest Post Office (about the 3.6 mile mark, 200 yards north of the Mountain Christian Church, or about 150 yards south of the Corte de Cañoncito intersection).  Do not stop on this highway as there are no shoulders-- look for a side street and go back on foot to get a better look if necessary.  On January 5, 2003, Tom Headly saw another from the deck at Crest House.  Mobbing chickadees may betray the owl's presence. Late afternoon (during the two hours up until sunset) and just after sunrise have been the most productive times to see this owl.  (Since it is a local breeder, it is easiest to find at and just after sunset during May and June, when it is calling.  Capulin Spring has been a reliable location during breeding season).

To find the Northern Pygmy-owl, just keep looking along the roadside. We have found the owl easier to see when we are descending, maybe because we are looking down on it against the sky.  It stands out when perched on a wire or on a bare New Mexico Locust tree.  They have been sighted several times in scrub oaks, which retain their leaves well into the winter, concealing the bird.  Look for a stocky big-headed thin-tailed bird  about the size of a bluebird  sitting all by itself, near the top of a 15-20 foot tree or on a wire.  It seems to prefer the area between the 4 and 8 mile markers on the Crest Road, but may appear anywhere up to the Crest and even along NM-14.  During summer, the Northern Saw-whet and Flammulated owls are usually more common than pygmy-owls, in our experience, so study their calls.  Our local Northern Pygmy-owl usually does not whistle a distinct couplet as do those in Arizona, though the cadence may be slightly coupled: either "whee////whee////whee////whee..." or "whee///whee////whee///whee..."

Q.  Where do the Rosy-Finches spend the summer?  A.  Each of the three North American species has a distinct breeding range.  The Gray-crowned is most widespread, breeding well up into central Alaska and along the Bering Sea,  western Canada, and the mountains of central Idaho, western Montana and northern Utah.  The Hepburn's (Coastal) race of the Gray-crowned nests in the most western part of this range, and down into the mountains of Washington and Oregon.  The Black Rosy-Finch occurs over a fairly wide range, but occupies the smallest amount of territory, breeding only in scattered small, often roadless, areas of high mountains in northern Utah, northern Nevada, southern Oregon, parts of southwestern Montana and Idaho.  The Brown-capped Rosy-Finch breeds in the southern Rocky Mountains, from southern Wyoming to the high mountains of northern New Mexico. 

Q.  Have Rosy-Finches just recently started wintering at Sandia Crest?  A.  No.  The feeding program has undoubtedly encouraged them to visit the Crest House area more frequently (indeed on a daily basis every winter since 1999-00), but they have been recorded erratically at Sandia Crest since the 1950s.  See Sandy Williams' article for more information.

Q.  When is the best time to visit "The Log" at Capulin Spring?  A.  Any time between May 1 and the first major snowfall.   During the wet season (usually early July through late August) the birds have less need to concentrate at this important watering spot.  For a full discussion see the article on "The  Log."

Q.  Where are the American Three-toed Woodpeckers in the Sandias?  A. (From Hart Schwarz) In the Sandias this species is on the verge of extinction or, perhaps, may already be extinct.  From 1974 through 1988 the Three-toed could be found with regularity in the spruce/fir belt of the Sandias; however, since then, i.e., during the past fifteen years, I have encountered it only once: on the Ellis Burn on 10-13-96.  Ironic for a bird associated with burns, this last sighting was the only one actually connected with a burn.  All my other records were from areas undisturbed by fire and dominated by Engelmann Spruce, generally above 10,000 feet.  The near-extinction of this woodpecker in the Sandias should be seen as a local phenomenon, however, since the birds are still to be found elsewhere in NM, such as the Zunis and the Jemez Mountains, where they frequently occupy a lower tier (7,500 ft. to 9,000 ft.) in the Transition and Mixed Conifer zones, especially in places where the Blue Spruce grows.  Perhaps spruce of either species provides the common denominator of appeal, unless the habitat has become too crowded with trees, as seems to be the case in the Sandias. ADDENDUM: See this page-- A pair and possibly a third American Three-toed Woodpecker appeared near Sandia Crest during the winter of 2005 and have persisted.  In early summer, "several" were seen at the same place, raising the possiblity that they may have returned to their former breeding grounds.  They were all seen in one general location, which is west of Kiwanis Meadow.  Walk south from the very lowest of the three parking lots at Sandia Crest, throug the open gate along the dirt road that leads to Kiwanis Meadow.  As you approach the Meadow, look right and also follow the trail that veers to the southwest towards Kiwanis Cabin and search the surrounding wooded area.  On July 16, 2010 two adults and one young three-toe were seen near the Ellis Trail head by the Thursday Birders. Read the report on the Sandia Crest Birding FORUM  with a link to Judy Liddel's blog with photos.. Nearby, another promising area worth searching for these birds is the 10K Trailhead, described in the Birder's Guide to the Crest Road  (LINK), although none have been reported there as yet. (Ken)

Q.  We saw hunters along the road to the Sandia Crest.  Is hunting legal?  A.  In the Sandia Ranger District, there is usually limited deer hunting by bow or muzzle-loading firearms for two weeks in late November through early December, and again for a week in mid-January.  The bear hunting season is over before the rosy-finches arrive.  In 2004 there may be an Aug. 28 to Sept. 19 Bow hunt for bear and mountain lion, and the Sandia and Manzano Mountains will have an Oct. 15 to Nov. 15 firearm hunt.  Hunters may not shoot from roadsides or near buildings, and have not interfered with birding activities.  Bow hunters usually hide or stalk in areas away from trails.  Just be aware that they are present legally.  They may not hunt after sunset.

Q.  What time does the sun go down?  A.  The following table gives the time of sunrise and sunset.  The sun disappears about 20-30 minutes earlier on the east side of the mountain.  Temperature drops very quickly after sunset.  Summer owling (for Flammulated, Saw-whet and Northern Pygmy-owl) seems most productive during the 1-2 hours after "official" sunset, while in the winter, the Northern Pygmy-owl has been heard and seen most often in the hour just after sunrise and just before sunset. 

Sunrise and Sunset, Albuquerque, NM To assist you in planning birding and owling (exact times vary year to year)
Mountain Standard Time Nov 1  6:27p - 5:13p Dec 1  6:56a - 4:55p Jan 1  7:15a - 5:06p Feb 1  7:06a - 5:35p Mar 1  6:36a - 6:02p	Mountain Daylight Time Apr 1  6:54a - 7:28p May 1  6:16a - 7:52p Jun 1  5:54a - 8:15p Jul 1  5:56a - 8:24p Aug 1  6:15a - 8:10p Sep 1  6:39a - 7:34p Oct 1  7:01a - 6:51p

For exact times of sunrise and sunset anywhere and any day of the year, select "Data Services" at the US Naval Observatory Web Site: http://aa.usno.navy.mil/

AVERAGE TEMPERATURES AND PRECIPITATION AT SANDIA CREST, ALBUQUERQUE AND SANDIA PARK

Average high temperatures at Sandia Crest are 25 degrees (F) colder than in Albuquerque. More importantly, the lows average 13 degrees below those in Albuquerque.  Sandia Park is at the base of the road to Sandia Crest, and is a mile lower in elevation, and has 1/2 less snow than at the Crest. Snowfall averages about 10 feet annually at the Crest.  Since mountain weather may produce unexpected sudden changes, be prepared, and dress in layers.

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RECENT CORRESPONDENCE

By Kenneth C. Schneider and Mary Lou Schneider
Special to the Telegraph as submitted, January 2002 (Truncated version was published)

Birdwatchers from all over the world are flocking to Sandia Crest to observe three species of birds from the north that have been unusually abundant during the past three winters [1999-2000, 2000-2001 and 2001-2002].  

When the tame little wanderers, members of a group of perching birds often called winter finches arrived in an unusually large flock of 80 birds in late 1999, we spread some birdseed at the edge of the roadway near the entrance gate to the Crest antenna complex in an effort to keep them coming. It worked, and the 1999-2000 winter was a banner year for naturalists who wanted to add the birds to their life lists.

After we moved from Dallas to Cedar Crest in 1993, we heard that Sandia Crest is sometimes visited by rosy-finches.  We and other birders would rush to the Crest to see them but were often disappointed. They came and went erratically until 1999. When news that the birds had returned in November 2000 traveled fast over the Internet, birders from as far away as Scotland made special trips just to see them.  

An unprecedented invasion of these inconspicuous but very handsome little birds occurred the winter of 2001-2002. During a two-week period in February, visitors from Tennessee, Arizona, Oregon, Indiana, Texas, North Carolina and Hawaii traveled by plane and car to see them.  A group from Denmark and Scotland was there as the sun came up one crisp morning.  They were rewarded with splendid, close-up views of the three species, called black, brown-capped and gray-crowned rosy-finches.  Was this just luck or did the feeding cause their abundance?  

The three species of rosy-finches spend their summers on treeless tundra on mountaintops and in the Arctic.  In the winter, all three wander south along mountain tops, to feed on weed seeds as well as on flying insects that are caught by updrafts and deposited, frozen, on snowfields at crests such as Sandia.  Two members of the group, known as the brown-capped and the black rosy-finches, share the distinction of being ALL-AMERICAN BIRDS with less than a dozen other bird species whose ranges are limited entirely to the lower forty-eight.  Only in Colorado and New Mexico, and only in the dead of winter, can all three species of rosy-finch be seen together.

Although the informal feeding by the public may well have contributed to the abundance of rosy-finches, it seemed to get unsightly and even dangerous when someone drained their radiator at the upper lot contaminating a large pile of seed.  

We approached Beverly DeGruyter, Chief Biologist for the Sandia Ranger District, and appealed for help from other interested birders.  As a result, the U.S. Forest Service and the Central New Mexico Audubon Society teamed up to erect a special feeder for the rosy-finches at Sandia Crest.  The feeder was donated by Wild Birds Unlimited Northwest, Albuquerque and the seed is being supplied courtesy of prdseed.com of Tijeras.  Tom Duncan, resident manager of the Sandia Crest House, has been very helpful. The feeder is removed after the rosy-finches depart, probably in late March, and is put up again in November. 
 
Before 1999, the Taos Ski Valley was the popular place to see these three species together.  Now Sandia Crest enjoys its reputation as the most accessible location in the world for those who seek rosy-finches.  

Visiting birders contribute significantly to the local economy.  New Mexico has a wondrous collection of specialized habitats that attract a great variety of birds. There are 1,913 species of birds in North America.  Despite its inland location, New Mexico, with 500 species, ranks fourth among the states and provinces of North America.

New Mexico is an inland paradise for the birding bunch crowd and a haven for birds. We feel fortunate to have the rosy-finches here. We hope for their annual return and for the return of human visitors to Sandia Crest.

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The Crest House has been officially up for sale since 2006, but there is no information yet as to a possible buyer. Let's hope that it keeps its birder-friendly ambiance (with great chili and early access for the banders, not to mention tolerance for scopers and photographers who linger long near the windows as their coffee gets cold) and is not bought by a cookie-cutter fast-food chain. Avi-tourism has meant good business for the Crest House and also for other East Mountain businesses since the feeders were installed in 1999. Over 1300 sighting reports have been recorded in the Crest House logs by birders, and staff there have told me that fewer than one in 10 birders ever sign it. I have seen organized groups of as many as 20 birders leave without ever recording any observations. Even the conservative estimate translates into over 10,000 customers who otherwise may never have ventured up to the top of the mountain. Many of these people would have never heard of the place, much less visited, if it were not for the reputation of Sandia Crest as the “Rosy Finch Capital,” and the Sandia Crest House its “Capitol.” One indicator of the connection between the bird and the building is the fact that a Google search of “rosy finch” + “Sandia Crest House” yielded 921 hits, while Sandia Crest House is associated with “gifts” 248 times and “food” only 217 times. See Ken's Blog for more on the Crest House sale.

Look for the Rio Grande Bird Research banding crew on most Sunday mornings during the winter.  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. For more information about arrival and departure dates, and patterns of abundance since 2000, see full records in the Sightings Logs. See visitors' e-mail and detailed reports from the banders at the CORRESPONDENCE link. 


While based more heavily upon boreal tree seed crop reports and observations in eastern Canada, Ron Pittaway's Winter Finch Forecast for 2007-2008  provided New Mexico with some hope for increased numbers of Pine Grosbeaks and Red-breasted Nuthatches this winter. On the other hand, it suggested that Pine Siskins might remain rather scarce, and offered a mixed picture for Red Crossbills. The previous winter's poor Red Crossbill and Pine Grosbeak showings seemed to correlate with his previous forecast for the winter of 2006-2007, which was based upon bumper cone crops in the far north.

Rosy-finches, which do not feed upon conifer seeds, and Cassin's Finches, which breed into western Canada, were not included in his forecast (excerpts follow, with Ken's remarks italicized)):

    * PINE GROSBEAK: This grosbeak will irrupt south of the breeding range because crops on native mountain-ashes (rowan berries) are generally poor in northeastern Ontario and across the boreal forest [There were no reports of Pine Grosbeaks at Sandia Crest during the winter of 2007-2008].
    * RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH: They have been moving south since mid-June presumably because of the poor cone crop in central Canada. Almost all Red-breasted Nuthatches will depart Ontario's boreal forest by late fall...[Not unusually abundant in 2007-2008]
    * EVENING GROSBEAK: This grosbeak will irrupt south of the boreal forest this fall because tree seed crops are generally very poor in northeastern Ontario and western Quebec...[This finch usually does not venture above 8000 feet in the Sandias-- there were several reports of flocks in the Albuquerque aea, but they were not abundant.]
    * PINE SISKIN: Similar to the White-winged Crossbill, most Pine Siskins departed Ontario this past summer, presumably attracted to huge spruce and fir cone crops in Alberta and British Columbia and/or to big spruce and balsam fir cone crops in Newfoundland and Cape Breton Island and probably elsewhere in the Atlantic Provinces... Large southward irruptions occur when cone crop failures span much of Canada...[No unusual irruption occurred the winter of 2007-2008]

See Cole Wolf's article about the record-breaking winter of 2006-2007 in the Summer 2007 Burrowing Owl, the Central New Mexico Audubon Society newsletter. He discusses some preliminary findings from the isotope study, suggesting that Gray-crowned Rosy-finches may be coming from above the Arctic Circle. It will be interesting to see differences, if any, between the origins of the interior and coastal (Hepburn's) races.

Dave Weaver took the last feeder down on April 2, 2007. On March 26, he reported that the finches were getting pretty scarce.  "The folks at the Crest think that they are (essentially) gone, and I tend to agree.  I plan to check again next week and if nobody has seen a finch during the intervening week I probably will take the deck feeder down." Aaron Smoot reported seeing one in flight on March 31.

And so we closed a very successful rosy-finch season. Dave Weaver and Fran Lusso , US Forest Service Volunteers put it a great deal of work this past winter, assuring that the feeders were maintained and filled, and manually entering all 104 of the sighting log entries into the Winter 2006-7 data base. We thank them for helping make this past winter the one with the largest flock of rosy-finches since the project began in 1999!

We are also most grateful to all of you who contributed by donating seed, especially Lee Hopwood of the Wild Bird Center in Albuquerque, who also donated the new feeders.  We so appreciate the hospitality of Gene Romero and the entire staff of Sandia Crest House. We especially thank the visitors who, by traveling to this unique site, demonstrate to the Albuquerque and East Mountain community that birding is very important to the local economy. Thankfully, there were also many skiers this winter, but the birders have really made their presence known!   After a horribly scant snow season the previous winter that prevented its opening, Sandia Peak ski area closed March 11, 2007 with all trails still open on the last day.

For more information about arrival and departure dates, and patterns of abundance since 2000, see full records in the Sightings Logs. See visitors' e-mail and detailed reports from the banders at the CORRESPONDENCE link. 

There are still many birding opportunites in and around Albuquerque. Central NM Audubon maintains an active field trip schedule. Also see the Thursday Birder trip schedule.  There are also regular weekend morning bird walks at Rio Grande Nature Center State Park in Albuquerque.


Dave and Fran put up the feeders on October 30, and rosy-finches appeared almost immediately, with confirmed sightings since November 2. As in previous years, Blacks predominated early, but all three species have been identified. This winter there was an unprecedented increase in the number of Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches at the feeders, while Brown-capped were unusually scarce. There were a couple of log entries that gave high counts of Brown-capped, but they did not fit the pattern of other observations and banding results. (First year Black and Gray-crowned can be hard to differentiate from Brown-capped. See this link for  IDENTIFICATION TIPS).

The final banding session was on Sunday, March 18, but no birds were captured. Review the banding summary (below) and also full reports in the Correspondence links.  This winter (2006-2007), Clark's Nutcrackers, Red Crossbills (up to 65) and Pine Siskins were intermittently present, as well as the American Three-toed Woodpecker, and there were only a few Cassin's Finches, and no Pine Grosbeaks. A highlight has been the persistence of American Three-toed Woodpeckers in the Kiwanis Meadows area. This species was thought to have disappeared from the Sandia Mountains.

On January 7, 2007 the Rio Grande Bird Research team banded 104 rosy-finches, the most they ever banded in one day. The next Sunday, January 14, they surpassed this record by banding 127. On these two days alone, they newly banded 82 Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches, of which 47 were of the Hepburn's race!  As Nancy and Steve Cox put it, "Last year we were happy with the 5 Hepburn's banded."  Their success continued with 189 captures on January 21, of which 116 were recaptures. They additionally saw about 200 unbanded birds at the feeders. On January 28 they captured 80 more, newly banding 57. Cole Wolf obtained some dramatic images of a large flock of rosy-finches mobbing a Red-tailed Hawk. Steve Fettig took some beautiful photos of all four morphologically distinct adult rosy-finch forms.These may be seen on the photo page.The February 4th and 11th session yielded 45 and 93 new captures respectively. Raymond got out on February 25th and newly banded about 50 rosies, including 2 Brown-capped with the rest about evenly divided between Gray-crowned (including some Hepburn's) and Black.

This winter (through March 11, 2007), 773 rosy-finches (579 Blacks, 186 Gray-crowned [including 104 Hepburns], and 8 Brown-capped) were newly banded, and 22 were recaptured from previous seasons.  One Black Rosy-Finch was recaptured for three winters in a row.  Click here for totals by species since 2004.
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The researchers exceeded their goal of banding 1000 rosy-finches as part of the isotope study project. Since January 2004,  1197 rosy-finches have been newly banded. Tiny feather samples are taken for isotope studies that permit UNM researchers to determine the location of the birds' breeding grounds. Preliminary results indicate that the Gray-crowned species migrates a great distance. It will be interesting to learn the origins of the Coastal/Hepburns birds that have invaded this winter. More information about isotope studies is available here.

Small flocks of all three species were last reported on April 13th, and only one Black Rosy-Finch was present on April 19, when Dave Weaver took down the feeders.  The next day, another was seen by Tom Duncan. On May 23, US Forest Service-sponsored Tuesday morning bird walks resumed in the Sandias, and Central NM Audubon continued an active field trip schedule.

The final banding session was on April 2.  The banders captured 30 rosy-finches, but all were same-season repeats, and only two unbanded birds were seen.  On March 24, only 2 Black Rosy-Finches were reported, the first day this winter that all three species were not seen, but 68 of all three species were captured the next day!  About 20 were at the feeders on April 6.  On April 11, Dave Weaver went up to the Crest to fill the feeders and found 10 rosy-finches still visiting. He reported, "A cool day with a nice dusting of rime ice on the decks and railings.  There are still some rosy finches in evidence, although Gene and the other folks think that the main groups are gone."

During the 2005-2006 winter season the Rio Grande Bird Research crew set a new record. They newly banded a total of  298 rosy-finches: 44 Brown-capped, 221 Black, and 33 Gray-crowned, including 5 Hepburn's race.  They were not able to capture a 6th unbanded Hepburn's that was sighted. In addition, there were 255 recaptures, including  7 Brown-capped and one Black first banded in December, 2004, and a Black that was originally banded on March 20, 2005.

Since the winter of 1999-2000, the last Rosy-Finch flocks of the year at Sandia Crest have been reported anywhere between March 5 to April 15th, with stragglers as late as March 17 to April 18th, so this year we had a record late departure date.  Generally, numbers of Rosies visiting the Crest House feeders begin decreasing after the first week in March. Last year (2004-5), all three species persisted in mixed flocks of 30 or so  through the second week in April.  For more information about arrival and departure dates, and patterns of abundance since 2000, see full records in the Sightings Logs.

We flew in from Florida to visit Sandia Crest on February 14. There was practically no snow on the ground, the driest we have ever seen Sandia Crest in mid-February. As we have observed previously, the birds tend to visit more frequently and in smaller flocks later in the winter.  During the four hours we spent at Crest House, there was hardly ever a time when rosy-finches were not present at one feeder or another. Coincidentally, on February 12 there were articles about the NM Rosies in both the Albuquerque Journal and the South Bend (Indiana) Tribune. We had just returned from a visit to Costa Rica and Panama that included some birding-- check out our report.

The feeders were put up on October 26th. The first birds, all Black Rosy-Finches, appeared at the feeders on the morning of November 12.  See visitors' e-mail and detailed reports from the banders at the CORRESPONDENCE link.

An AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER has been seen intermittently on the trail to the Kiwanis Meadows on Sandia Crest (use the search feature of this Web page, or the Birders Guide to Crest Road to find these and other nearby birding locations). There have been no recent reports of Cassin's Finch, Red Crossbill at the Crest (except for one male crossbill, seen at the feeders on January 31), Clark's Nutcracker or Pine Grosbeak. Pinyon Jays and Evening Grosbeaks have been very scarce or absent at lower elevations. Please tell us about these and any other species you may see. Please record your sightings in the log at Crest House Visitors Center (which now contains over 150 entries), and report them to Matt Baumann for the NM RBA as well as to us.

On November 27, 2005, the first day of banding, Nancy Cox of Rio Grande Bird Research reported that 70 rosy-finches (plus one same-day repeat) were banded by 2:15 PM, their best single day of banding up at the Crest House.  Laurel Ladwig has posted a slide show that captures some of the excitement of that record-breaking day of banding, along with some nice snow scenes.

On Sunday, December 11, the team newly banded 59 rosy-finches, plus 6 same-season recaptures.  At this point, the capture/recapture formula produced a population size estimate of 660 birds with a standard error of plus or minus 220. 

The winter of 2004-2005 produced records for the earliest arrivals, the latest flock sightings, and the latest departure of the flocks.  The rosy-finches arrived on Sunday, November 7th, 2004, the earliest date they have been seen at Sandia Crest since 1954, when the birds were first recorded there.  This winter the East Mountains have recorded the most moisture since the 19th century, and the ski area ended its season in late March with all 31 trails open with an 8 foot base.   Approximately 180 inches of snow fell at the Crest House.  Gene Romero reported on March 30th that the entrance to the Crest House looked like a tunnel.

As of March 20th the flock size was down and the birds were singing, so their departure appeared imminent. On March 23, 60-70 Rosy-Finches of all three species were recorded in the log, and a Pine Grosbeak was seen at Mile Marker 4.  The snow surface was above the roof of the rest rooms, and more was expected!

On Easter Sunday, March 27, 2005 several observers, including the banding team,  watched from 9 AM until 3 PM and failed to see any rosy-finches.  This was the first day since November when the birds did not put in an appearance.  They did show up the next day, and about 30 were seen again each day through March 30.  On the afternoon of March 31, Linda and Ralph Browning reported 80 to 90 rosy-finches of all three species, but over a week went by without any reported sightings, until they reappeared on April 10th, to finally depart on April 18th.

EAST MOUNTAIN TELEGRAPH ARTICLE ABOUT BIRDERS AT SANDIA CREST  (March 3, 2005)  "All three species of rosy-finches— black, brown-capped and gray-crowned— can be seen regularly from the heated comfort of the Sandia Crest House restaurant. The mountain birds normally are so tough to find that birders from 12 states have made the trek up to the Crest to see them in the past month..."
Roof damage from the heavy snowfall in mid-February caused the Crest House to close on Monday, February 21.  Despite repair work, they were able to open up for business the next day.   Reports from  visitors are below.

All three species were present, including Hepburn's race of the Gray-crowned, along with several reports of Pine Grosbeak flocks of up to ten individuals, many Pine Siskins, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Mountain Chickadees, Gray-headed, Oregon and Pink-sided Juncos. Cassin's Finch have been reported occasionally since early January, but there have been few reports of Clark's Nutcrackers and Red Crossbills.  On February 9, 2005 Loren Hansen of Iowa took photos of the Northern Pygmy-owl at the Ski Basin parking lot, and on March 6 a group from Michigan saw it again at mile post 3.  The New Mexico RBA reported sighting of 11 PINE GROSBEAKS beside the road above the 10K Trailhead on March 18 .  Of great interest has been the flock of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS that has been visiting the Santa Fe area during the middle of March.  Latest sightings have been near the Randall Davey Audubon Center at the end of Canyon Road in Santa Fe.  On March,  31 were reported, and about 20 were present on March 19.  So far there have been no reports from the Sandia Mountains.

The researchers have banded 96 rosy-finches so far this winter, and estimate a total of  100-150 are using the feeders this winter.  Try to note how many of the birds you see have bands and enter this number into the sightings log at the Crest House Visitors Center.  The banders will have an accurate count as it is difficult to see the bands in the field, but this statistic gives a rough idea of the total number of birds present (i.e., if no new birds are joining the flocks and the birds distribute themselves evenly between the several flocks that are up there now, and an average of 50% have bands, there are 96x2 or 192 birds visiting the feeders). 

Of course, the flocks may segregate themselves, causing some flocks to have a much higher or lower percentage of banded members, and we truly do not know that we are seeing the same individuals all winter.  Color banding, planned for the future, would shed light on this aspect ot their behavior. There is so much yet to be learned!  Banding continues into March, 2005.  Check with Ryan Beaulieu  for schedule and details.  Be sure to check the weather and links to live videos of conditions, as well as highway information. 

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On January 28, 2005 Diane Touret saw six PINE GROSBEAK at the 10K Trailhead parking lot.

Jim Joseph on January 30, 2005 identified an AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER on Trail 130 between the Kiwanis Meadow and the Crest House in the Sandias.  This species has been presumably absent from the Sandias for at least ten years.  [Ken hiked the 10K Trailhead in June, 2004 (Click here and then scroll down for a Panoramic winter view of this spectacular location) and followed the trail that borders the Crest Aspen clearcut and controlled burn of 2003.  Fire-weakened Douglas-fir  and a few surviving Corkbark Fir and Englemann Spruce seem to provide ideal habitat for the exterpitated American Three-toed Woodpecker.  We hope that birders will continue the search for this species.]
FLASH from the NM RBA (June 9, 2005): TWO AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKERS were photographed on June 4 on Sandia Crest east of Albuquerque on the trail that leads to the Kiwanis Meadows from the lower parking lot.  They were 100 yards down from the gate at the south end of the lot near several downed trees on the left hand side of the trail.  A drumming male was seen on June 5, and on July 7 a female was located to the right side of the same trail, at the edge of Kiwanis Meadows.  "Several" were seen later in July, suggesting successful breeding.

All three Rosy-Finch species were present every day during the winter of 2004-2005.  They appeared earlier than ever, on November 7, 2004.  This winter marked the greatest measured precipitation since records began in the late 1800's.  The ski area enjoyed an incredibly succesful season, with all trails open for most of the winter and into early spring.


During the winter of 2002-2003 there was not a single day when we failed to see (usually all 3 species of) rosy-finches.    Cassin's Finches, Pine Siskins and Red-breasted Nuthatches were abundant at the Crest, and Evening Grosbeaks abounded on the eastern slope, but they were missing during the winter of 2003-2004.   Brown-capped Rosy-Finches were essentially absent the entire winter of 2003-2004.

Identifying rosy-finches as to species is not always easy.  Some can be picked out as definite Gray-crowned (Interior) Rosy-Finches, and  others are definitely Blacks. Many others have enough black coloration to be presumed as Black (female and first year birds), but some are quite intermediate, lacking warm cinnamon coloration on the contour feathers that looked dull brown, but not black.  We have been cautious about identifying these as (Interior) Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches. 

The Coastal/Hepburn's Gray-crowned may also appear  very dark, almost the same color as some of the Blacks.  Later in the winter its color  may "warm up" or become somewhat rusty.  During February, 2004 a possible Brown-capped was reported by a couple of observers.  If you see a "Brown-capped" Rosy-Finch with a leg band, better read on.  Ryan Beaulieu was banding rosy-finches on Sundays with Rio Grande Bird Research, and offered this information:
Ken,
How have you been? I just wanted to say that we banded 9 Rosy Finches this weekend [February 29, 2004] with almost half of them being interior gray-crowneds. Be careful because the gray-crowneds look a lot like the blacks and we had to carefully do different measurements and look at different feather groups to decide on gray-crowned or black. Also, we think we have figured out what the “possible brown-capped” that everyone has been reporting is. We banded an interior gray-crown that looks very similar to a brown-capped! But, it is indeed a gray-crowned. I just thought I would let you know of this. Good Birding!

Cheers,
Ryan Beaulieu CLICK HERE TO SEE CHARLES HOWELL'S  PICTURES AND THE ID CHALLENGE

We have found in past years that the early flocks tend to visit less frequently, probably because the scant snow cover affords plenty of foraging opportunities all along the spine of the Sandias.  The wind also may make the birds stay close to the ground.  In 2002  all three species arrived on November 19th and were present daily through the winter into late March.  We set out the Rosy-Finch feeders on October 19th, 2003, in hopes of attracting them earlier than the prior year, and the first rosy-finches (three Blacks) were sighted on November 15th.

Fellow USFS Volunteers David and Karen Halvorson, and Dan Benton help tend the feeders.  Melissa Howard of CNMAS as well as Corine Howard, Chris Michel and Nancy Baczek  offered  to fill in for us as necessary.    Thank you all!!  Until the winter of 2004 Mary Lou and Ken usually filled the feeders every Tuesday morning and also provided interpretation for the public.  Visitors are encouraged to donate seed (hulled sunflower seed only for the deck feeder, and black oil only for the two hoppers), and if able, to fill the feeders if they find them empty.  A small supply is maintained at the Visitors Center under the desk, just inside the door to the Crest House.  Using the more expensive hulled seed exclusively for the deck feeder not only cuts down on litter, but also means less work for the birds as they can gobble up quite a few calories during a very brief visit!

When you see rosy-finches (or other birds of note), be sure to enter them in the log at the USFS Visitors Center at the desk near the entrance of the Sandia Crest House Gift Shop, and report them  by e-mail to Matt Baumann who compiles the New Mexico RBA, or to the AZ/NM RBA, and to Cornell Labs eBird.org.  To listen to a tape of recent sightings call the NM RBA Hotline at  505-884-3269.  If there are question or problems, please notify Fran and or Dave.  Also, when you patronize local merchants, wear your binoculars and let them know you are birders, here to see the "Rosies."  You will contribute to the increasing  recognition of the importance of avi-tourism to the East Mountains economy. 

Gene Romero (pictured to the left), Resident Manager of the Crest House, was concerned about numerous Red Crossbill window strikes.   The windows of the gift shop and restaurant are now adorned with hawk silhouettes and chickadee appliqués, donated to Central NM Audubon and put up by Ryan Beaulieu and Raymond VanBuskirk.  Central New Mexico Audubon recognized Gene and his staff for his support of the Rosy-Finch project.  Ryan obtained US Forest Service approval of a plan to conduct rosy-finch banding at the Crest beginning in the winter of 2003-2004, in cooperation with Rio Grande Bird Research, Inc.  Banding commenced on January 4, 2004, when a single first winter Black Rosy-Finch was banded.   See article on Sandia Crest Rosy-Finches and the banding proposal in JAN-FEB 2004 Central NM Audubon Society Newsletter.

Cassin's Finches were not reported at the Crest during the winter of 2003-2004 despite their abundance the prior three winters.    In early November, when we drove up to fill the feeders we saw a Williamson's Sapsucker at about the 7 mile mark near the base of the ski lift (We took  this picture of a brightly colored male Williamson's Sapsucker in our yard.  A pair visited our yard pond occasionally all winter).  Red Crossbills may usually be seen along the higher reaches of the road  to the Crest, especially at the 10K Trailhead.  Red-breasted Nuthatches can be scarce at the Crest but may be found around 10K. The roads to Cienega Canyon, Capulin Spring and Nine Mile Picnic Area are closed and barricaded for the winter.  

The Sandia Crest Rosy-Finch feeder project is a private undertaking that came about through the efforts of the Central New Mexico Audubon Society and with the cooperation of the US Forest Service, Sandia Ranger District.  The feeders and seed were donated by local merchants, and many visitors have also contributed seed.  Its success is entirely dependent upon the good will of the Crest House, a private business that leases the land on which the feeders are located, and more importantly, operates the business that provides a comfortable viewing area for visiting birders.  Please support this business by making purchases and also observe courtesies to staff and customers as outlined in the Rosy-Finch  Web Page.

During the winter of 2001-2002 we installed two new Rosy-finch feeders at Sandia Crest, for a total of THREE.  Lynda Geron of  Wild Birds Unlimited Northwest, Albuquerque,  donated one new hopper feeder and two tray feeders with necessary hardware to mount them.  In 2005 the Wild Bird Center Westside in Albuquerque donated a new hanging feeder for the deck, and over 100 lbs of "patio mix" hull-less seed, in addition to the steady donations of seed from prdseed.com.

The first feeder (large hopper and tray) is just west of the south end of the lower parking lot, in view of the east facing picture windows in the Gift Shop.

A second feeder (medium hopper and tray) was mounted above (to the west of) the first, on the chain link fence that runs along the very crest. It is in plain view of the south facing picture windows.  One feeder is on each side of the trail that runs to the south from the gift shop entrance, permitting photos under all light conditions. Both of these feeders are stocked with black oil sunflower seed ONLY.

And (ta-dah!!) we now have a tray feeder on the new deck that occupies the SW corner of the Crest House complex.  It is extended off the NW corner of the deck so that the wind is less likely to blow seed unto the deck surface.  This feeder will use ONLY hull-less sunflower seed (already donated by Paula Diepolder of  prdseed.com of Tijeras). If the finches use this one, it will provide great views not only from the deck itself, but from the dining area inside.  Pay binoculars have been installed on the south end of the deck to permit views of the lower feeder.  The Gift shop will start selling compact roof prism binoculars for those who forget to bring a pair.

Now let's hope that the Rosy-finches continue their pattern of visiting daily all winter!

Please do not disseminate seed in other areas.  If you wish to donate seed (the above two types of seed ONLY), please put it directly into the feeders or give it to Gene Romero, Resident Manager of the Crest House, for safekeeping.

OUR NOTES AT END OF 2002-2003 SEASON

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On February 4, 2002, a bird feeder was established at Sandia Crest, in the Sandia Mountains east of Albuquerque, New Mexico, at 10,678 feet elevation.  The feeder’s purpose was to attract three species of rosy-finch (Gray-crowned, Black, and Brown-capped Rosy-finches).  The feeder, supplied by Wild Birds Unlimited on Coors, Albuquerque, with seed donated by “prdseed” of Tijeras, NM, was a cooperative project of the Central New Mexico Audubon Society, the US Forest Service, and the managers of the Crest House concession.

All three Rosy-finch species quickly began using the new feeder.  During the 65 days that the feeder operated (February 4 through April 9, 2002), about 100 pounds of black oil sunflower seed were consumed or dispersed by the birds, a daily average of about 1.5 pounds. 

The new feeder replaced informal feeding of various seed mixtures that had been spread on the parking lots during the winters of 1999-2000, 2000-2001 and the early part of 2001-2002 by visiting birders.  The informal feeding was associated with a great increase in the frequency of visits by all three Rosy-finch species.  It also caused concern by some members of the birding community about contamination (especially by spilled radiator fluid and sand mixed with snow melting chemicals), wasteful littering of the parking lot surface, and possible adverse effects upon native vegetation.  Further, artificial feeding does carry risks of crowding birds into small areas and enhancing the spread of avian diseases. 

To partially allay these concerns, the feeder was located on disturbed ground away from public facilities.  Seed was limited to one type— black oil sunflower, to decrease the number of alien plant species that might be introduced.  Any seed product may include a certain low percentage of "weed" seed, and this presents another unknown factor. 

Even before the growing season had commenced, there was some degradation visible in the immediate vicinity of the feeder.  Perhaps the seed hulls or the concentration of bird droppings and/or the gleaning activity of the birds inhibited native plant growth.  Would some of the sunflower seed germinate?  If so, is it possible that some would reach maturity and produce new seed?  Would there be a measurable change in the number and mix of plant species that may be related to proximity of the feeders and other factors such as wind direction?

After the feeders were removed, we suggested to the Forest Service that a volunteer botanist or a student might wish to conduct an objective study of the effects of feeding on the vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the feeder.   We offered to work with anyone who may have the expertise and interest to reach an evidence-based conclusion about the possible effects of feeding birds in this rather fragile ecosystem.

No one expressed interest, so we launched our own informal study.  At approximately two to three-week intervals, from May 16 until September 18, 2002, we made nine visits to the site where the feeder had been located, and inspected the vegetation that grew within 25 to 30 feet on all sides.  We observed the amount of ground cover, and the location of bare or poorly vegetated areas.  Although we lack training in plant identification, we looked for differences between the species of vegetation at various distances from the feeder.  We especially looked for signs that sunflowers had germinated or gone on to flower.  Ideally, we would have designated sample study areas at various distances and directions from the feeder site, and kept precise data on the number and species of plants in each spot.  This was beyond our capability, but we hope that an enterprising student may wish to repeat this study in the future.

Our findings may be summed up rather simply.  To our eyes, no sunflower seeds ever germinated near the feeders during the summer of 2002.  (Recall that spring was unusually dry, and that even native sunflowers seemed to do poorly at lower elevations in the Sandias.)  Indeed, there was no qualitative difference between the various grasses and flowers, whether nearby or 30 feet from the feeder location.  We did find patches of bare ground at the very base and up to 15 to 20 feet from the feeder site.  The denuded area was larger on the north side of the feeder site, widening like an irregular piece of pie to about 6 or 7 feet wide, where it joined a shrubby area.  Bald patches extended about 8-10 feet in a narrow area to the south, and were absent on the east and west sides of the feeder.  They showed obvious signs of recent and past use by pocket gophers: fresh crescent shaped mounds, and cylinders of soil that had filled burrows in the snow before it melted. 

Since the predominate wind direction during the winter is from the south, wind-scattered seed was more dispersed to the north.  This was borne out by observation, as the snow, especially to the north, was often covered with seed hulls.  The gophers were active all winter under the snow, as evidenced by the remains of their soil-filled burrows suspended in the snow as it melted.  They undoubtedly fed upon the excess seeds and continued to forage for them after the snow was gone. 

We conclude that the feeding of black oil sunflowers had some adverse effect upon the area immediately surrounding the feeder site, especially on the downwind side.  The effect seemed to be mostly indirect, the result of foraging by pocket gophers.  There was no evidence of a direct effect such as germination of sunflower or other alien seed.  We again invite a more objective study, to shed some light on a topic that is sometimes controversial. Lynda Geron of Wild Birds Unlimited on Coors in Albuquerque writes (September 19, 2002):

One possible explanation for the bare areas is that Black Oil Sunflower shells contain a natural herbicide that kill small plants (like turf grass) where they drop, apparently in order to give its seed a better
chance at germination.

Black oil sunflower shells are sometimes used as an "organic" method of weed control: in sidewalk cracks, under larger plants -- one of my customers mulches his roses with it.

If you want an alternative, I would recommend feeding seed without the shells. That way there would be no shells to build up/clean up -- although that might foil the gophers. And seeds out of the shell tend not to sprout. At least they sprout at a far lower rate. There are a couple of ways to go: medium sunflower chips or we carry a No Mess Blend. The only question remaining is: will the Rosy Finches be equally attracted to the seeds without shells? Another opportunity for study...

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