Haemorhous cassinii
Cassin’s Finches are small songbirds with stout bills, males are a rosy pink overall with bright red on their crowns, females are primarily brown and white.
When this female Cassin's Finch landed next to a creek two days ago in the West Desert I was happy to take her photo.
This male Cassin's Finch did pop out into the open with a mahogany seed in his bill and even though he was in the shade I took a few photos of him.
I didn't have the good fortune to photograph another Cassin's Finch on my trip so I am glad I took the time to take photos of this one looking around his home in the Centennial Valley of Montana.
Two years ago today I was in Beaverhead County, Montana photographing Cassin's Finches foraging on the seeds of dandelions on a morning that had sunshine and plenty of fog.
At times the male Cassin's Finch looked like he was on alert but I can't be sure why, it might have been because of the other finches nearby or that he was keeping an eye out for predators in the sky.
Cassin's Finch males look to me like they have been dipped in raspberry juice and that color is very vibrant especially in sweet light.
Yesterday was a delight in the West Desert because there were plentiful birds to photograph including this male Spotted Towhee singing on its territory.
Just a simple post this morning of a female Cassin's Finch I photographed last May in Clark County, Idaho.
I've only had one opportunity to photograph Cassin's Finches so far and that was in the small town of Lakeview where the headquarters of Red Rock Lakes national Wildlife Refuge is located.