[cobirds] CAFI sightings

Hey COBirders,

Just weighing in on the recent Cassin's Finch sightings.

I get at least a handful most winters in my backyard in NW Colorado Springs (Mountain Shadows neighborhood), and I band the ones I can catch in a net or baited traps.

This week I've caught about 10 so far, 4 today, all but one a hatch-year bird, and all of those unsexed since males don't usually show any red until after next summer. One was an adult female with adult rectrices. I'm seeing quite a few adult male birds in the yard also, but they are savvy enough to avoid my traps.

Looking back over my CAFI records, I usually band 5-10 each winter, some in the fall, some in deep winter, mostly after snows bring them down lower. But three years stood out for irruption numbers. Winter 2014-15 I banded 50+ birds, 2016-17 I banded 90+ birds, and 2020-21 I banded 50+ birds.

The 2016-17 numbers overlapped with an arrival of Red Crossbills, only the third time in 32 years here, and I was able to capture and band 8 of those.

(My neighbor also saw our FOS Steller's Jay and FOS Evening Grosbeak last week, but only on one day).

I'm mostly trying to catch wintering juncos, and I see a lot of site fidelity, with some banded birds return 2,3,4,and even 6 years after banding here in the yard. Most days I catch 2-3, but these couple of snow-covered days I have been banding more like 15-25. And while most winters I catch 1-2 White-winged Juncos, (the ones that winter here and breed in the Black Hills), this fall I've already caught and banded six.

Fun to see some diversity on these snowy days.

Good Winter Birding,
Steve Brown,
Colo Spgs

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