[Birdtalk] Black Rosy-Finch - Salt Lake Co

[Colby Neuman]

Hi all,

I cannot remember any reports of rosy-finches from the Wasatch in the summer
despite the apparent good habitat.  I thought I had one fly by when I hiked
the Pfiefferhorn last summer, but at the time, it had been awhile since I'd
heard one call so I was hesitant to call it.  Anyway, I definitely had 2
BLACK ROSY-FINCHES in the Devil's Castle area underneath Sugarloaf Peak at
Alta (Salt Lake Co.) yesterday.  They called repeatedly as they flew by.
They eventually landed on a snowpatch about 100 yards away.

I meant to report this earlier, but I think I had a female Rufous/Allen's
hummingbird at Alta on June 16th, which is on the early side for even a male
Rufous Hummingbird.  I only had a brief look, but the hummingbird was like a
female Broad-tailed Hummingbird (there may have been more rufous on the
sides than I normally think of for them), but it had a dark patch on the
throat.  Due to the fading light, I was unable to see the color of this
patch.  Can female Broad-tailed Hummingbirds show this patch?  Also, I think
the time of year and flank color would eliminate a young male Broad-tailed
Hummingbird?

Other birds seen around Alta the past two weekends include a pair of PINE
GROSBEAKS working the area around the campground, a flyover adult NORTHERN
GOSHAWK on two different occasions, a number of singing LAZULI BUNTINGS
(along the hike up to Cecret Lake), pretty high elevation SWAINSON'S
THRUSHES singing in the willows at the first switchback on the dirt road
that's on the way up to the Cecret Lake Trailhead, MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS, ROCK
WRENS and VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS along the shoulder between Devil's Castle
and Sugarloaf Peak, a flock of RED CROSSBILLS foraging in a small patch of
cone covered firs in Day's Fork (actually in Big Cottonwood Canyon), and
other expected suspects such as YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, CASSIN'S FINCHES,
LINCOLN'S, FOX and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS.

Also, the GRAY CATBIRD was singing last evening in the same location as I
heard it a couple weeks ago in Emigration Canyon.

Colby
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