Cassin's Finch, finally
Cassin's Finch usually breed in conifer forests in Colorado at high elevation then do migrate to lower elevation foothills and nearby plains in fall and winter. I usually see at least a few at my feeders in Canon City, but I haven't had much interest even by more common feeder birds since I filled my feeders several weeks ago (I don't feed in summer or early fall) let alone any of the mountain species like Cassin's Finch that often visit. So I was delighted today to find a male and several female Cassin's Finch including the one in this pic in the Royal Gorge Park just west of town. I was also delighted to spot a flock of Pinyon Jays. Unfortunately they were on private property in the area and flying away but so I just got to hear their distinctive calls for brief period. I also saw a Canyon Wren, a species that overwinters in this area, near the Royal Gorge canyon (though it was actually flying in and out of a wheel well on a pick-up truck--go figure). Though...