Hey everyone, I have not been able to read or send most of this past months
stuff, hope I didn't miss much, but I'm now the proud owner of a brand new
computer, one that doesn't shut down at will so you can only do absolutely
necessary things instead of enjoying your email. Anyway, I'm back and
wanted to report in about my first (all these 1sts are for the year)
CALLIOPE HUMMER last week on the 25th, I just love those little guys! The
TREE SWALLOWS have taken atleast 3 of my 4 humble homes. I saw a male
RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER squeeling at a female HAIRY WOODPECKER (hummmm), my
first PILEATED WOODPECKER (always blows my socks off) yesterday and my first
LEWIS WOODPECKER today. Yahoooo, it's spring!
Poo
Wood River Valley

ÿþ<

Centennial Marsh in the Camas Prairie is now in full bloom! It's not one of
it's best blooms, but it is one of the best in about 4 years. If you've
never seen the Camas Lily in bloom now would be the time to go. To get
there take Hwy 20 from either Arco or Mt. Home and drive to Hill City (a
very small town) you can enter the Marsh from Hill City on the west end
(turn south just past the little store and haybales) or there will be a sign
just past Corral (mm 145) on the east end. Follow it back towards the hills
and you eventually come to the center where there is a small group of trees
and a porta-potty (put there by F&G). The road goes in one end and out the
other, kind of a "U" shape, Delorme map page 26. Definitely take a
camera....and...oh yeah!....the birds in there are amazing! Check out the
heron rookery(?!)...I couldn't believe it...one nest in the lone pine tree
way out in the middle above the outhouse! A quick list....
GREAT BLUE HERON, RUDDY DUCK, AM. COOT, CINNAMON, GREEN & BLUE-WINGED TEAL,
LESSER SCAUP, PINTAIL, N. SHOVELER, SANDHILL CRANE, AM. AVOCET, BLACK-NECKED
STILT, WILSON'S PHALAROPE, SNIPE, LONG-BILLED CURLEW, WHITE-FACED IBIS,
YELLOW & RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, DOWITCHER (of which my choice is
short-billed although long-billed is more common, the breast was quite
clear).....need I go on! Evenings in there are beautiful but take bug
juice.
I also tried some "moonbirding" two nights ago after reading about it in
the book "LIVING ON THE WIND". I set up my scope on the full moon to see if
I could catch the night migration. In a half hours time I saw 4 birds cross
the moon! ID is close to impossible unless you're REAL quick on shapes, but
what a thrill to see what goes on in the night. I don't know about you,
but, for me it was a triple WOW!!! The book talks about seeing many more
than that when it's at peak migration and between about 10 and 12pm. The
moon is just past full now and the skies are finally clear here so try it
and see what you can find. Just another way to bird!

Poo
Wood River Valley

ps the book calls it "moonwatching" but my friends immediately renamed it
"moonbirding" after I explained it to them.

Hi all , I've just come back from Centennial Marsh again (wow is it still
in bloom!) and just east of MM157 on hwy 20 one of the people with me says
"look at all the seagulls!". I turn to look and catch a glimpse of a
nongull shape and think to myself "no way". We quickly turn around and go
back and sure enough...there with all the gulls are 3 CATTLE EGRETS. I
haven't seen them here in Idaho so what a treat it was! Not sure yet which
county we were in, latalong shows that they've been seen in Blaine County
but in migration, it does'nt show them in Camas county and the county line
is right around that area, will have to make sure. If you go to look for
them, turn north at a farm road with a sign that says Simon Farms Inc. They
were right off the hwy and flew back along that road by the sprinklers.
Also while out on thursday we stopped at the Picabo Store (again hwy
20, near Silver Creek Preserve) and found a pair of COMMON GRACKLE in the
ditch to the west of the parking lot. And I got a call from my friends in
Carey that they had a LESSER GOLDFINCH at their feeder on the 24th. Haven't
had a chance to go check that one out yet or to call and see if it's still
there, but will let you know.

Poo
wood river valley

On 5/20 I made note of a"heron rookery!?" in the lone pine tree in the
center of Centennial Marsh. I made that call because of 4 adult heron
sitting in the tree and the nest made of twigs. I remember, tho, thinking
the young at first sounded like raven's, didn't cross my mind that it was a
"pine" tree the nest was in. Anyway.....I was out to the Marsh again last
week, the young in the nest can now be seen and ya know what....they kinda
look like ravens! Still not a positive ID, but I think it's more likely,
does anyone else agree or seen them to varify? Sorry if I mislead anyone
also!

Poo
Wood River Valley

SPRING BIRD REPORT
March 1st-May 31st, 2000
Blaine County, ID
Poo Wright-Pulliam


MARCH: Started out crisp and clear and headed into rain and snow for mid
month, wiiindyyy for the last week. Nights ranged from the teens to the
30's , days ranged from the 30's to 50's, mild in my book.
APRIL: was beautiful with nights in the 30's (rarely below freezing) and
days in the 50's upwards to 60's and 70's by months end. The 13th thru the
25th produced rain but still remained 50 to 60. Windy at the end of the
month.
MAY: Atleast 11 days of rain, with most nights above freezing to lower
40's, days averaged 50's and 60's until the last 2 weeks then warmed up to
the 70's.

All in all I think migration came a few days to about a week early.
CASSIN'S FINCH counts at my feeder where down. SANDHILL CRANE in south
county seemed way down. I've seen groups of 40 to 100 in previous years but
have only seen up to 8 this year. Duck counts seemed down for the spring
also.

CONTRIBUTORS: Poo Wright-Pulliam (PWP), Larry Barnes (LB), Brian Sturges
(BS), Wendy Warren (WW), Robin Garwood (RG), Stephanie Swift (SS), Norm &
Karen Shorts (N & KS), Patty Provonsha (PP), Craig & Charis Shanholtzer (C &
C)

BIRDS OF NOTE:

SANDHILL CRANE: 3/5 PWP...overwintered in the Silver Creek area. This was
the last time I saw it alone. On 3/12 I saw 4 more.

BARROW'S GOLDENEYE: 3/8 PWP...I note this one for 2 reason's. One, because
we don't see them to often here and , two, because it was in the Hospital
Pond on Hwy 75. The pond is new, the builders of the new hospital destroyed
the old natural spring and rerouted it to this spot apparently saving some
of the plant life and replanting it here. It's been interesting to see what
has been there as it grows. 5/8 N & KS...at the Bigwood Golf Course. Norm
said they are nesting but I don't have varification yet if they were
successful.

COMMON REDPOLLS: 3/10 SS...a small flock still hanging around at the F & G
grounds in Mackay (Custer County). 3/19 PP...at her feeders in down town
Hailey, 10-12. 4/2 WW...in Stanley Basin.

SWANS: 3/4 PWP ...Carey Lake , up to 60, I could only ID 2 positive
TRUMPETERS. 3/12 PWP...at Silver Creek Preserve. Of the 24, I could ID 4
as TRUMPETERS. 3/18 by Duane Reynolds...400-500 TUNDRA at Carey Lake.

MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD: 3/18 Duane again...near Carey Lake. 3/26 Sandy
Kearney...Smiley Creek in the Stanley Basin

RED CROSSBILL: 3/25 & 4/2 WW ...on Galena Summit (no count)

PINE GROSBEAK: 3/25 & 4/2 WW ...on Galena Summit (no count)

COMMON GRACKLE: 5/7 N & KS...at the Bigwood Golf Course. Norm said they
are nesting but I don't have varification yet if they were successful
either. 5/25 PWP...a pair in the ditch next to Picabo Store on Hwy 20.
(with Elderhostel Group)

COMMON LOON: 5/10 N & KS...on pond on the right of hole #1. Norm said he
has pictures of this one.

LESSER GOLDFINCH: C & C... at their feeders (in Carey)several different
times, not seen by any other birders to varify. Charis said the male was
definitely green backed but didn't get a look at undertail coverts.

CATTLE EGRET: 5/27 PWP(with Liz Warrick and Susan Perin)...mm157 on Hwy 20.
Hanging out with the gulls in a plowed field. Saw 3 in mating plumage, and
I'm not sure if this is Camas county or Blaine, the county line is right in
that vicinity. They've been seen in that latalong but I'm not sure about
Camas county, I know they've been seen in Blaine. Would you know the answer
to that one Dave.


P.S. Stephanie Swift (former asst. manager @ Silver Creek) is now working
and living in Mackay. She said she might be willing to take on this report
for that area. Her address is phnie@...

sorry IBLE my report was to go to Dave.
Poo

Hi Dave, sorry for the delay, I've been out of town. The Lesser goldfinch
at Shanholtzer's was: 1 male on 5/24 and 1 male/1 female on the 28th. I
was there a few days later and saw a very green female but undertail coverts
where white. I thought I had read that L.G. were yellow under the tail.
Also, I'm going to Hagerman today (bought some property there, fun huh!) and
will check for the county line on the cattle egrets and let you know.

Poo

Hi all,
been meaning to let you all know about some burrowing owls I found
outside of Wendell a few weeks ago. If you take HWy 46 south out of Wendell
(Delorme 27, but it doens't show Shoestring) you will come to Shoestring
Road, about one mile past Shoestring (and before the very large power lines)
look along the fence posts. The interesting thing about this is that I saw
one two weeks in a row there but last week as we drove along I saw a newly
burned out area, my thoughts ran to the poor owl and it's home, hoping the
fire had missed it. As we approached tho, there sat the little owl on it's
post, right in the middle of all this black, and there on the ground in the
burrow pit was another! Hurray! They are very easy to find now, just look
for the burn area.
I also got a call from Wendy this morning and she said she heard a
MOCKING BIRD near where she lives near The Meadows Trailer Park on July 4th.
So everyone here in the Wood River Valley keep your eyes and ears open. Our
last one was 2 years ago south of here in Hayspur Hatchery.

Poo

Hi all,
been meaning to let you all know about some burrowing owls I found
outside of Wendell a few weeks ago. If you take HWy 46 south out of Wendell
(Delorme 27, but it doens't show Shoestring) you will come to Shoestring
Road, about one mile past Shoestring (and before the very large power lines)
look along the fence posts. The interesting thing about this is that I saw
one two weeks in a row there but last week as we drove along I saw a newly
burned out area, my thoughts ran to the poor owl and it's home, hoping the
fire had missed it. As we approached tho, there sat the little owl on it's
post, right in the middle of all this black, and there on the ground in the
burrow pit was another! Hurray! They are very easy to find now, just look
for the burn area.
I also got a call from Wendy this morning and she said she heard a
MOCKING BIRD near where she lives near The Meadows Trailer Park on July 4th.
So everyone here in the Wood River Valley keep your eyes and ears open. Our
last one was 2 years ago south of here in Hayspur Hatchery.

Poo
wood river valley

oooooops......dang.....it was a Mocking bird here 3 miles south of Ketchum,
Wendy Warren heard it. It was a yb cuckoo in Hayspur. Don't know where my
mind was. sorry.
Poo

ÿþ<

I'm resending this as the message didn't seem to come thru on the last post.
**********************************************************

WOW Dave, beautiful photos, Thanks so much for sharing them. I'm learning
a ton from this egroup!
Poo
WoodRiver Valley

Hi to all, but this one is for Joan Bergstom, I've lost your email address,
could you email me back with it please?
poo@...
thanks Poo

Hi all and Happy New Year!
Brian Sturges put on our CBC this year in absolutely beautiful weather!
Mostly sunny, on occasion brisk, but just wonderful and snowy white. We had
7 participants that scoured the area radiating from the Picabo Store on Hwy
20, it included Silver Creek Preserve, Carey Lake, Little Wood Reservoir,
Point of Rocks and lots of farmland. The good sightings of each group: for
Poo Wright-Pulliam and Norm Shorts, 1 male 3 female Hooded merganzers; for
Brian Sturges and George Livingston, a Gyrfalcon (not our usual one) putting
on a show for them at Carey Lake; and (best of show) for Robin Garwood and
David and Lila McLeod, 1 female Wood Duck, which was a good sighting in
itself but made "wow" status when they glanced on the shore just behind to
see a BOBCAT stalking her! She dove to safety and the bobcat made best
mammal sighting of the day. We broke our previous species total of 56 with
a total of 58! We ended our count with pizza and bird lore at Brian and
Debbie's, a good time was had by all! Robin and I are looking forward to
being involved in Hagerman's count tomorrow. Bird on..... Poo
I'm forwarding our count list to you from Brian. One comment was that
the blackbird counts were way down.

Sun Valley CBC December 23, 2000

Pied billed grebe 6
great blue heron 6
tundra swan 12
canada goose 784
wood duck 1
green winged teal 8
mallard 1453
n. Pintail 17
gadwall 11
Am. Wigeon 55
redhead 1
ring-necked duck 29
c. golden eye 60
bufflehead 5
hooded merganser 4
bald eagle imm. 10
adult 5
golden eagle imm 1
adult 3
n. harrier 9
sharp-shinned 1
coopers hawk 1
red-tailed hawk 5
rough-legged hawk 14
am. kestrel 12
gyrfalcon 1
prairie falcon 3
chukar 59
ring-necked ph. 9
killdeer 4
rock dove 205
great horned owl 1
belted kingfisher 8
downy woodpecker 3
hairy woodpecker 2
n. flicker 21
horned lark 201
b.b. magpie 124
am. crow 4
common raven 24
b.c. chickadee 25
m. chickadee 5
marsh wren 8
am. dipper 2
g.c. kinglet 1
n. shrike 1
starling 378
tree sparrow 51
song sparrow 54
harris sparrow 1
oregon junco 40
brewers blackbird 15
w. meadowlark 15
house finch 20
pine siskin 18
am. goldfinch 46
house sparrow 439

Small flock of about 3 dozen Snow Buntings west of Idaho Falls. Head West
on US 20, then north on 105 West. Look along the telephone wires and
roadside. I found them just south of 65th North. This is near the same
place Greg Rice found them last year.


Bob Davis

Hi,

A statewide network of people interested in birdwatching and sharing their knowledge about birds with others. A primary function of the group is to share sightings. Secondarily, members may also provide information to the group about the activities of their local birding organizations, ie, club meetings, field-trips, etc.


Cheers,

Dave Lawrence
dlaw@...

The new IBLE eGroup is now completely set up. I have gone thru the
membership list and set all subscribers to the same mail receipt options
as you had on SIBA.

Again, Sorry for any inconvience this may have caused anybody. I've
tried to make it as seamless as possible.

Please begin as of now, sending your posts to: IBLE@...
Please remove SIBA@... from your address books.

Remember it is still the same group, just a new name.

--
Dave Lawrence "There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in
dlaw@... the migration of the birds, ...There is some-
15207 Vista Drive thing infinitely healing in the repeated refrains
Caldwell, ID 83605 of nature - the assurance that dawn comes after
1-208-454-1219 night, and spring after the winter."
Rachel Carson

Idaho birders (or should I saw birders interested in Idaho birds!) -

A Great Gray Owl has been found frequenting several rural homesteads near the Moscow/Pullman Airport between Moscow, ID and Pullman, WA. Although it has only just been discovered by the local birding community it has apparently been present for several weeks. If anybody is interested in seeing this bird email me and I will send directions. It's location is only 15 minutes from where the Pine Warbler is persisting in a Moscow neighborhood.

Charles.
=========================
Charles E. Swift
Moscow, Idaho
charless@...
******************************************

RBA

* northern Idaho / eastern Washington / northeastern Oregon
* February 4, 2000
* IDWA0002.4

-birds mentioned

Arctic Loon
Gyrfalcon
Thayer's Gull
Glaucous Gull
Pine Warbler
White-throated Sparrow
Tri-colored Blackbird

-transcript

hotline: northern Idaho / eastern Washington /
northeastern Oregon
Date: February 4, 2000.
Phone: (208) 882-6195
Compiler: Kas Dumroese
Transcriber: Charles Swift - charless@...

This is Kas Dumroese with the Northern Idaho / Eastern Washington / Northeastern Oregon bird hotline for Friday, Feb 4 (2000). This hotline, sponsored by Palouse Audubon, is updated every Friday evening.

An ARCTIC LOON is at the Priest Rapids Dam in Grant Co WA. It has been seen for about a week, and I have a report it was seen today, Feb 4. I have 2 sets of directions. Here's number 1. Take WA 243 to 26 SW, north of Desert Aire, and follow it to the river. Here's number 2. Take WA 243 straight to the dam. Drive like you're going to drive across the dam, but instead park in the parking area in front of the gate with the restricted access sign. WA DeLorme 52, CD-1.

Just north of Moses Lake, Grant Co WA, today Feb 4, were 11 TRI-COLORED BLACKBIRDS and a single AMERICAN TREE SPARROW at Gloyd Seeps state fish and wildlife area, according to Mike and MerryLynn Denny. To get there, take J NE north from Moses Lake about 6 miles to the area. Look for a large sign and a parking area on the left. Walk west from the parking area, cross the canal, and then head toward the only clump of pines. The Denny's heard the blackbirds fly over late this afternoon. WA DeLorme 69, C-6.

A GYRFALCON was near the intersection of WA 17 and Hampton Road just southeast of Othello, Adams Co WA on Jan 29 according to Bob Flores. WA DeLorme 53, B-7.

A PINE WARBLER is still visiting a feeder in Moscow, Latah Co, ID. The bird has been present at the feeder of Bettie and Ray Hoff, 907 East 7th Street, since Dec 7. The bird frequents a feeder on the south side of the house. Look for it around the southeast corner of 7th Street and Hayes. The Hoff's have also had a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW visiting their feeders. The Hoff's are happy to have birders visit but if you are coming from a distance you might want to check ahead. Email them at hoff697@....

A THAYER'S GULL has been seen on the beach at Independence Point in Coeur d'Alene, Kootenai Co Idaho for the past month. First seen by John Weber, Stephen Lindsay saw it last Sun Jan 30. This park is downtown, just west of the CdA Resort. ID DeLorme 60, B-1.

A second-year GLAUCOUS GULL was near the Walla Walla River delta in western Walla Walla Co WA today Feb 4 according to Mike and MerryLynn Denny. The delta is just north of the jct of US 12 and US 730. WA DeLorme 40, D-1.

If you have any questions, give me a call before 9 PM 208.883.0943.

Good birding.


=========================
Charles E. Swift
Moscow, Idaho
charless@...
******************************************