{"id":39883,"date":"2016-06-18T06:28:04","date_gmt":"2016-06-18T12:28:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=39883"},"modified":"2024-05-21T04:06:13","modified_gmt":"2024-05-21T09:06:13","slug":"male-cassins-finch-in-clark-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/06\/18\/male-cassins-finch-in-clark-county\/","title":{"rendered":"Male Cassin&#8217;s Finch in Clark County, Idaho"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload aligncenter wp-image-128858 size-full\" title=\"Alert male Cassin's Finch on a conifer\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-male-mia-mcpherson-8307.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-male-mia-mcpherson-8307.jpg\" alt=\"Alert male Cassin's Finch on a conifer, Targhee National Forest, Clark County, Idaho\" width=\"850\" height=\"607\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27850%27%20height%3D%27607%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20850%20607%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27850%27%20height%3D%27607%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-male-mia-mcpherson-8307-200x143.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-male-mia-mcpherson-8307-250x179.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-male-mia-mcpherson-8307-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-male-mia-mcpherson-8307-400x286.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-male-mia-mcpherson-8307-600x428.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-male-mia-mcpherson-8307-768x548.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-male-mia-mcpherson-8307-800x571.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-male-mia-mcpherson-8307.jpg 850w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><span style=\"color: #808080;\">Alert male Cassin&#8217;s Finch on a conifer &#8211; Nikon D810 f7.1, 1\/320, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Although I see and photograph Cassin&#8217;s Finches in Utah I seem to have the best luck with them in southwestern Montana and in Clark County, Idaho. Maybe that is because I am in habitats they prefer more often in those areas than when I am here in the Salt Lake Valley. In Utah I am usually in the desert or marshes surrounding the Great Salt Lake and during the breeding season Cassin&#8217;s Finches prefer mature forests of pines, firs and spruce although some breed in sagebrush steppes that include junipers. Whatever the reason, I enjoy seeing and photographing these finches any where I find them, especially the males who look like they have been dipped in raspberries.<\/p>\n<p>When I spotted this male Cassin&#8217;s Finch on a conifer in the Targhee National Forest in Clark County, Idaho early this month he was calling softly and in the distance I could hear more finches but I put my focus entirely on him because he was the closest and because I liked the way he perched high up on the conifer. There were budding Aspens and other conifers in the distance which gave me a lovely green background against his rosy, pink and raspberry coloring.<\/p>\n<p>At times the male Cassin&#8217;s Finch looked like he was on alert but I can&#8217;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.<\/p>\n<p>I like to include songs and calls when I can of my subjects and found this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.xeno-canto.org\/218168\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">recording<\/span><\/a>. (This recording has Pinyon Jay and Western Tanager calls in the background.)<\/p>\n<p>Male Cassin&#8217;s Finches often mimic the calls and songs of other birds species and add them to their own songs.<\/p>\n<p>Life <em>is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n<p>Mia<\/p>\n<p>Click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/cassins-finch-images\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Cassin&#8217;s Finch photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At times the male Cassin&#8217;s Finch looked like he was on alert but I can&#8217;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. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":128858,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,2220,2578,2244,2261],"tags":[4004,4540,4053,4935,3503,5237,3504,3495,5370,2221,4062,4104,5743,4735],"class_list":["post-39883","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-cassins-finches","category-clark-county","category-idaho","category-targhee-national-forest","tag-adult","tag-alert","tag-breeding-plumage","tag-call","tag-cassins-finch","tag-conifer","tag-finch","tag-finches","tag-forest","tag-haemorhous-cassinii","tag-male","tag-perched","tag-recording","tag-song"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-male-mia-mcpherson-8307.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-anh","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":21936,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/04\/14\/female-cassins-finch\/","url_meta":{"origin":39883,"position":0},"title":"Female Cassin&#8217;s Finch","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 14, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Just a simple post this morning of a female Cassin's Finch I photographed last May in Clark County, Idaho.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Female Cassin's Finch, Targhee National Forest, Clark County, Idaho","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-female-mia-mcpherson-1687.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-female-mia-mcpherson-1687.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-female-mia-mcpherson-1687.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-female-mia-mcpherson-1687.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":25452,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/06\/12\/cassins-finches-of-the-centennial-valley-of-montana\/","url_meta":{"origin":39883,"position":1},"title":"Cassin&#8217;s Finches of the Centennial Valley of Montana","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 12, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"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.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Beaverhead County&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Cassin's Finch perched on a lichen covered fence post in the Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-male-lichen-mia-mcpherson-0008.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-male-lichen-mia-mcpherson-0008.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-male-lichen-mia-mcpherson-0008.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-male-lichen-mia-mcpherson-0008.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":47758,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/07\/21\/cassins-finch-with-his-head-tilted\/","url_meta":{"origin":39883,"position":2},"title":"Cassin&#8217;s Finch With His Head Tilted","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 21, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"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.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Beaverhead County&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Cassin's Finch with his head tilted, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-male-curious-mia-mcpherson-5461.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-male-curious-mia-mcpherson-5461.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-male-curious-mia-mcpherson-5461.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-male-curious-mia-mcpherson-5461.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":47247,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/06\/11\/male-cassins-finches-foraging-in-beaverhead-county-montana\/","url_meta":{"origin":39883,"position":3},"title":"Male Cassin&#8217;s Finches Foraging in Beaverhead County, Montana","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 11, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"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.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Beaverhead County&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Cassin's Finch foraging for Dandelion seeds, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-dandelions-mia-mcpherson-0126.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-dandelions-mia-mcpherson-0126.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-dandelions-mia-mcpherson-0126.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-dandelions-mia-mcpherson-0126.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8370,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/05\/17\/male-cassins-finch\/","url_meta":{"origin":39883,"position":4},"title":"Male Cassin&#8217;s Finch","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 17, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"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.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Beaverhead County&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Cassin's Finch, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-mia-mcpherson-6152.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-mia-mcpherson-6152.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-mia-mcpherson-6152.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-mia-mcpherson-6152.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":75042,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/11\/02\/male-cassins-finch-eating-a-mountain-mahogany-seed\/","url_meta":{"origin":39883,"position":5},"title":"Male Cassin&#8217;s Finch Eating a Mountain Mahogany Seed","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 2, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"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.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Cassin's Finch with a Mountain Mahogany seed, West Desert, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-male-mountain-mahoghany-seed-mia-mcpherson-2269.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/cassins-finch-male-mountain-mahoghany-seed-mia-mcpherson-2269.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39883","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39883"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39883\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/128858"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39883"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39883"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39883"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}