Rosy-Finches in Utah County

["Eric Huish" <poorwill_ at hotmail dot com>]

I saw Black and Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches today along the Bonneville 
Shoreline Trail in Orem near the North Rim of the Mouth of Provo Canyon.  I 
found a group of about 8 birds feeding between patches of snow on a steep 
rocky hillside.  They were mostly Black Rosy-Finches with a couple 
Gray-crowned.  I watched them for about 20 minutes when they flew up, flew 
around the next hill, then came back with a flock of about 50 Rosy-Finches 
and landed back on the hill above me. They weren?t there long when they were 
spooked by a Kestrel and flew off to the North over the vast expanse of 
foothills.  When the flock flew over I compared black chests to brown chests 
and estimated the flock was about 75% Black Rosy-Finches.

To get to the trail head for this section of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail 
turn North off 800 North Orem onto 800 East then turn right immediately 
after the cemetery (there is a brown ?Bonneville Shoreline Trail? sign on a 
telephone pole) then turn left before the water treatment plant.  I saw the 
birds about ½  mile East (towards Provo Canyon) along the trail/road.


Eric Huish
Pleasant Grove UT
poorwill_@hotmail.com
801-360-8777


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