Birding Update for Boise, ID parks

I've been staying fairly close to Boise over the last few days for birding.  There are a few species out right now that you are pretty much guaranteed to see if you visit any of Boise's parks, especially Foote Park and Discovery Park.  Bullock's Orioles are very numerous and have begun nesting, and are the most numerous yard bird we have at the moment.  They devour about 5 oranges a day up at our camper.

Bullock's Oriole - immature male

Bullock's Oriole - male

Black-headed Grosbeaks are also everywhere, and seem to jump around in flocks with orioles and Western Tanagers.  No one really touched the suet feeder in our yard the first few weeks we had it out, but the Black-headed Grosbeaks surprisingly love it!

Black-headed Grosbeak - male

Black-headed Grosbeak - male at suet feeder

Western Tanagers are also here in full force, and we noticed a surge of them with a storm two nights ago.  Surprisingly, they also really like the oranges at our feeders, but are easily bullied by the Bullock's Orioles that dominate the oranges.  House Wrens and Magpies also visit our oranges throughout the day.

Western Tanager - female

Western Tanager - male

If you've been birding in the foothills near Boise, you've likely come across huge flocks of Chipping Sparrows in the past week and a half or so.  There were hundreds on the hillsides by Foote Park a week ago, and the numbers seem to be dropping off just slightly.

Chipping Sparrow

While birding with local birder "RL" at Foote Park a few days ago, we came across our FOY Wilson's Warbler and Warbling Vireo!!!  Both species are pretty much a guarantee this week at Foote and Discovery Parks.

Wilson's Warbler

RL and I also found about 6 different Dusky Flycatchers.  Gray flycatchers have been reported here, but we haven't yet been able to spot one.

Dusky Flycatcher

And although they've been around for awhile, I still enjoy seeing Lewis's Woodpeckers in our yard and at Discovery Park.  They may be turning into my new favorite woodpecker species!

Lewis's Woodpecker

Yesterday, while birding with Alex and our new co-worker Morgan, we found our first MacGillivrays Warbler at Foote Park.  We didn't get photos, but we are sure we will come across more.  Yellow Warblers are still packed in as well, and are now busy nest-building at Foote Park. 

Another guarantee is now Lazuli Bunting, which are one of the most common birds at Foote Park and are easily spotted foraging low in the willows.

Lazuli Bunting - male

Yellow-breasted Chats are now on territories as well, and are chatting their little hearts out at Foote Park.  They are a lot more visible and less sneaky now that they are defending territories, and can be easily spotted when they do their crazy displays.

Yellow-breasted Chat - male

Broad-winged Hawk and Other Migrants/Arrivals near Boise, Idaho

Migrants are slowly trickling into Idaho, giving us a few birds to chase every day after work.  We saw our first Western Kingbird on April 24th at CJ Strike WMA, and now see them more frequently. A day later, we saw our first House Wrens and Chipping Sparrows (although we'd heard House Wrens about a week earlier).  Around the same time, huge flocks of American Pipits were moving through our field sites. 

Western Kingbird - Prairie, Idaho

American Pipit, Black's Creek Reservoir, Idaho

Warblers are slow to arrive, but at Discovery State Park on April 29th, we found a passerine flocks that consisted mostly of Yellow-rumped Warblers, Black-capped Chickadees and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, in addition to a few Chipping Sparrows, 3 Nashville Warblers, and an Orange-Crowned Warbler (the last two were both year and state birds).  Our drive through the Black's Creek Road riparian corridor didn't give us the warblers we were hoping for on May 2nd, and we also didn't see any Lewis's Woodpeckers where they typically would be found after arriving.  Just a few days later a pair was seen at Discovery State Park, so it is likely they've arrived on Black's Creek Road.  We also didn't see any Yellow Warblers that day, but found one at the Wilson's Springs Ponds and another at Lake Lowell on May 4th.

Shorebirds have also been appearing.  You have to catch these guys quick, because the majority of them don't breed here, and can only be seen in migration (with the exception of Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Willet, Spotted Sandpiper, Long-billed Curlew, Wilson's Phalarope, and Wilson's Snipe--all of which breed here).  Our first Great and Lesser Yellowlegs were both on April 18th, and we've seen plenty more since.  We saw our first 'Western' Willet at the Weitz Road ponds on April 25th, and stumbled upon a flock of Marbled Godwits with a single Wilson's Phalarope up north near Midvale, Idaho.  On May 2nd, we found a Solitary Sandpiper in a small flooded field near Prairie, Idaho, and later that day got our first Least Sandpipers for the state (already had my FOY in Florida) at the Mountain Home Reservoir.

Solitary Sandpipier - near Prairie, Idaho

Marbled Godwits and Wilson's Phalarope - Jackson Creek Pond (north of Midvale, Idaho)

Least Sandpipers - Mountain Home Reservoir, Idaho

Least Sandpiper - Mountain Home Reservoir, Idaho

American Avocet - Mountain Home Reservoir, Idaho (photo by Alex Lamoreaux)

Forster's Terns and Caspian Terns have also arrived, and Black Terns should be here soon.  On April 22nd, we found our first Idaho Lincoln's Sparrow at Chicken Dinner Wetlands, and got a better look at a pair later in the day at Lake Lowell. On April 27th, Alex and I flushed a Grasshopper while looking for curlew nests, and have seen a handful since then (a state bird for me, but I already had my FOY in Florida).
 

Caspian Tern - CJ Strike WMA, Idaho

One of our best finds since we've been here was an adult Broad-winged Hawk on May 1st. In about 3.5 months, these birds will be pouring south through Pennsylvania by the thousands.  Even though these birds are common in PA, its fun to see some of our common birds as "rarities" in the west. Not many are seen in Idaho each year, but a number are seen during spring and fall migration periods.  Initially it was perched in a tree, but flew off in a nice soar before continuing north.

Broad-winged Hawk, adult - Cascade Lake, Idaho

My best personal find so far has been a Sage Thrasher on April 12, while I was out in the field looking for Long-billed Curlews.  I haven't seen any since, and unfortunately for Alex, he was working a different route that day.  Along with a Pileated Woodpecker I spotted on Lick Creek Road, I've got a satisfying 2 bird lead on Alex for the state.  Alex usually anihilates me on listing competitions since I'm usually tied down to a small area for work, and he has school weekends to go birding and chase vagrants.  Better start birding harder, Alex.