It all started in the 1970s with one skier—Wendell whiting.
Words: Janice Gardner
It started in the 70s with one skier Wendell Whiting. Wendell was the jack-of-all-trades type, ranging from tele-skier to artist, but perhaps it was his well-known sobriety that made connecting with nature so central to his Alta experience. The first bird feeder in Alta lore is one hidden in a cluster of subalpine fir and Engleman spruce below the old Germania chairlift. Wendell was known to haul pounds of black oil sunflower seed—on skis, of course—to the secluded feeder. His efforts were successful, attracting mountain chickadees and pine siskins and sparking the unique culture of birding at Alta.
Throughout the 80s, more feeders began materializing around the mountain, placed there quietly by mysterious individuals for the benefit of many.
Feeders are located:
- At the top of Collins
- To the west of the Sugarloaf load station
- In the trees off of Sunnyside lift
- At a few of the homes near the summer road
- Hidden in the trees off the Mambo ski run
Tyler Peterson’s first memory of visiting one of Alta’s bird feeders was on skis with his Dad and Wendell. The bird feeder location had code names, but we now know it was Wendell's Feeder. Wendell explained the difference between Utah’s two species of chickadees, mountain and black-capped. It was Tyler’s first lesson in bird identification and since then, he has been hooked and even established his own feeders at Alta and Snowbird.
In the mid-90s, even Alta’s management was getting involved in the birding scene. One day at the top of the mountain, a man armed with binoculars, a camera, and little skiing experience inquired with Ski Patrol Director Gus “Piney” Gilman about “where to see the birds.” Piney, also a self-registered birder, graciously guided the bird watcher-turned-skier down the mountain, stopping at feeders along the way (and likely helping the man avoid leaving in a rescue toboggan).
Gilman reflects, “When I told Onno [Wieringa, Alta’s General Manager at the time], that people were purchasing a day lift ticket and renting skis just for one ski run to see birds, that was special.” Birdseed was promptly added to ski patrol’s equipment budget, where it is still included today to maintain the popular Collins lift feeder.
When I told Onno [Wieringa, Alta’s GM at the time] that people were purchasing a day lift ticket and renting skis just for one ski run to see birds, that was special.
If you’ve skied Alta, you know there are more feeders than just the one at Collins lift. So what keeps the rest of Alta’s bird feeders from going dry? That’s Alta Magic.
There are a few lead bird seed-stockers, such as Paul “Pablo” Lippert. Since Paul met Wendell decades ago, he has been keeping the feeders overflowing with seed for the twittering winter birds. In lift line, strangers hand over five and ten dollar bills to Paul to put in the collection basket “for birdseed.”
In the 2019 season, Paul put 280 pounds of seed in Alta’s bird feeders. He also builds custom feeders that can withstand the harsh winter storms, using odd parts from lamps and kitchen appliances he finds at thrift stores. However, full feeders across the slopes suggest there are an untold number of others involved. We may never know exactly which skiers stuff ziplock bags of birdseed in their ski jackets, zip across the mountain, and jam their favorite feeders full of good seed.
The Rosy-finches
Alta’s bird feeders attract about a dozen species in the winter. For Piney, the feeders are all about attracting his favorite bird, the Clark’s nutcracker. In the jay family, the large bird is patterned with gray, black, and white and is known for its loud croaks and raspy calls. For Vivian Schneggenburger, it is the huge flocks of gray-crowned and black rosy-finches that bring the most excitement.
Vivian is not alone in her love of rosy-finches, these birds are rare and draw the most special attention. The rosy-finches are a bit like Alta locals—they love the mountains, thrive in a good snowstorm, and can be nomadic in their seasonal travels. They are sparrow-sized and, as their name suggests, sport pink feathers on their flanks and wings. This is especially remarkable considering that, aside from flamingos, there are few places in nature where you can find a bird with pink feathers.
Photo Credit: Rocko Mencyk and Janice Gardner
The Least understood birds in North America are right here at Alta
Coupled with their uniqueness, rosy-finches are incredibly hard to find in the wild. There are three species of rosy-finch, and seeing even one is highly desirable among birders. To find a gray-crowned rosy-finch in the summer, birders would have to head to the high tundra of Alaska and the Yukon Territory. And though the black rosy-finch and the brown-capped rosy-finch rear their young right here in the Rocky Mountains, you’ll need to climb talus cliffs in the highest of mountain peaks to spot one.
In the winter, rosy-finches form large flocks and roam across vast expanses of uninhabited plateaus and canyonlands. Only a few birders and scientists can say they’ve found a rosy-finch nest; even catching a glimpse of their nomadic flocks in the winter is difficult. With their rugged habitat and mysterious nature, rosy-finches—particularly black rosy-finches—are the least understood birds in North America.
Rosy-finch populations may be in decline, and the species is recognized as one of conservation concern by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, and U.S. Forest Service. This makes it all the more interesting that some of the rare places rosy-finches hang out is at bird feeders at a few western ski resorts, with Alta being the most notable.
Rosy-finches rely on alpine habitats, like Alta’s powder-drenched slopes we love to frequent during the winter. With climate change shrinking these habitats right off the map, scientists are concerned. Heightening the concern for the species is that little is known about how many there are, where they are, or what resources they need to successfully fledge a chick. Without even this basic knowledge, it’s difficult to know what to do to ensure these birds are resilient against climate change.
Our citizen scientists
In 2018, biologists representative of both government agencies and non-profit conservation organizations banded together based on their determination that rosy-finches wouldn’t blink out of existence before we even knew what could be done. But, to unlock the secrets of the rosy-finch, they needed to get close to them.
The biologists quickly found a home for the rosy-finch project in Alta. The influence of Alta’s birding community on Alta Ski Area, Friends of Alta, and the U.S. Forest Service preceded the researchers, and bird awareness was already the norm. The Rosy-finch project was born.
The two pillars of the project are the creative use of RFID technology and bird surveys by community scientists at Alta and throughout the West. This coupling allows biologists an efficient and effective way to study rosy-finches.
Partnerships forming throughout the state and region are due in large part to the success supported by the Alta community.
Photo Credit: Janice Gardner
With just a couple seasons of data, we’re understanding rosy-finches’ movement patterns and timing, new breeding locations, and the means to estimate their abundance.
The conservation legacy
A black rosy-finch sits on Wendell’s feeder, at Alta Ski Area. This bird is fitted with two bracelets, one of which registers its presence at special RFID-enabled bird feeders on the mountain.
Wendell passed away in 2019. At his memorial, his friends and family gave away pouches of birdseed and paid tribute to him at “Wendell’s Feeder”, which for decades has been located in a patch of conifers, accessed from the Collins lift. The feeder is adorned with stained-glass ornaments he created and hand-drawn birds that are lovingly maintained. This bird feeder is a testament to what Wendell’s passion for birds kindled in an entire ski community: a unique culture of bird watching. Even beyond this, it also represents what a community can do for the conservation of a small bird and an entire ecosystem.
You can get involved with rosy-finch conservation where you live! Join Wild Utah Project and the Tracy Aviary, who need volunteers like you to help with bird surveys in the 2020-2021 season.
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