Common Redpolls of the Desert
by Bryce W. Robinson
It has been a harsh winter thus far. Before the deathly cold and snows hit, I found something that really excited me. I was in the middle of the west desert, in the northern part of Utah, and I came upon a flock of Common Redpoll- Cardeulis flammea. This bird is not common in Utah. I hardly expected to find it in the desert, so my excitement was doubled. It was quite the group, nearly thirty or so birds. It was a wonderful surprise, and reminded me that the best birding happens when I am not looking. The surprise is what I treasure in the experience.
ornithologi.com 
What a wonderful avian serendipity! I still have no images of this species. Jealous…
Oh I am sure they will come your way before winters end Ron. And when they do, we will all reap the benefits of your fine skills with the camera. Can’t even wait.
Did you look closely at the flock to see if a Gyr was among them?
No Mike, I was temporarily distracted from my Gyr hunt, if you can believe it. Although I did scrutinize each Redpoll in hopes of uncovering a Hoary.
Great find! You should consider helping to document their distribution by submitting a record to the Utah Bird Records Committee. http://utahbirds.org/RecCom/RecordSubmission.htm
Thanks for the comment Ryan. I definitely need to be more active in that regard.