On July 8, the members of a guided trip up the Garfield Peak trail were able to closely observe a pair of Hepburn's rosy finches. The birds were feeding along a receding snowbank at 7800 feet, about twenty feet from the trail and paid no attention to the fifteen observers although these latter were quieter than any group of people unaccustomed to the conventions of successful bird observation. It is this tendency to continue with the business of feeding, as though observers did not exist, that brings the Leucosticte particularly to the notice of individuals who have taken advantage of self-guiding trails and are fortunate enough to come in contact with these handsome and by no means well-known birds.

This notice is very often followed, when opportunity comes, by a question directed to a member of the park personnel. Even when visitors have heard of rosy finches they do not realize that, at last, they have seen one. This is because the vernacular name is inappropriate and, at least in Crater Lake National Park, these birds are not restricted to high altitudes. Visitors notice particularly the grey head and the large size for a finch. The usual comment is that the rest of the bird looked brown.

Actually, under field observation Leucostictes do not look rosy. According to Webster rosy means blooming; blushing; resembling a rose, and none of these connotations fits a hard working brown and grey finch busily working the snow banks. These finches are not large birds but they are bigger than the more commonly seen juncos, siskins, crossbills, and purple finches, and perhaps look bigger than they are because they are clearly seen against the snow.

No part of Crater Lake National Park is above 9000 feet but because snow commonly lies late in the angle which the rim makes with the lake shore and in sheltered points on the rim walls, Leucostictes may be seen along the lake shore at 6200 feet, along the crater wall trail which joins the rim at 7000 feet, and even just within the rim in the parking areas. Their visits to these latter points are transitory but to step from one's car and only have to walk a few feet to see rosy finches is quite an event even if it doesn't happen very often.