Our morning objective was to head up to the top of Sandia Crest (10,678 feet in elevation) and look for the Rosy Finches that have been spending the last several winters visiting the feeders at the Crest House. We stopped about halfway up at the Sandia Ski Basin to look for the Northern Pygmy-Owl that was sporadically being seen there. We had no luck with the owl, but did find Steller’s Jay and Mountain Chickadee. By the time we reached the very top of the road, we were enshrouded in fog. A little after 8:00, a large group of Rosy Finches popped out of the fog and descended on the feeders. There, in one feeding tray, were Gray-crowned, Brown-capped, and
Black Rosy-Finches.
Black Rosy-Finches at The Crest House feeders at Sandia Crest in New Mexico.
At least three Gray-crowneds of the “Hepburn’s” race were noted. Also seen at the feeders were Hairy Woodpecker, Mountain Chickadee, Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatch, and “Gray-headed” Junco. On our way back down the mountain, a second try for the owl at the ski basin faired no better than our first.
Hopping back on I-40, it was off to the Texas panhandle to take a long shot at finding Lesser Prairie-Chicken before it got dark. Finding them when they’re not at a lek is very improbable, so we weren’t too disappointed when we didn’t see any.
At Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, we encountered freezing drizzle and found accidents at almost every overpass. We averaged between 30 and 40 miles per hour for the next 100 miles.
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