FLOW Survey near Ashton, Idaho

Our survey near Ashton, Idaho, was indeed delayed one night due to bad weather, mainly wind.  The wind died down over the next day, and we spent most of the day birding at nearby Chester Dam and the riparian area that leads to it.  It turned out to be one of our best warbler days in Idaho, including lots of Yellow and Yellow-rumped Warblers, a few Wilson's and Orange-crowned Warblers, and a single MacGillivray's Warbler.  We also picked up a new state bird (for me!), Eastern Kingbird.

Yellow Warbler

Pine Siskins were the most abundant species, moving around in small flocks from 20 to 50 individuals.  A lot of flycatchers were out, too, including Cordilleran, Dusky, and Hammond's. A single male Bobolink was also in the riparian area.

Pine Siskin

Dusky Flycatcher

Bobolink - male

Bobolink - male

Eastern Kingbird

With the weather looking better, we were able to complete our Flammulated Owl survey that night.  Before dark, we heard Ruffed Grouse and Hermit Thrush, and spotted a few Calliope Hummingbirds during our vegetation surveys.  We didn't hea any Flammulated Owls during our survey, but we did flush a Great Horned Owl on the way to our last point.  We finished the survey in record time since the elevation change was not very drastic and we were able to start very close to our points with only a short walk in.  Just as we set up our tent for the night, the wind picked up, and we were treated to another night of the tent wall smacking us in the face.  The rain persisted through most of the morning, but we made a quick stop at a marsh where we called out a Sora, and finally got a great look at a species that has been avoiding us for a long time!  Check out Alex's post about the Sora for more photos.

Sora

On our way home in the rain, we didn't make many stops for birds, but found these Cliff and Bank Swallows lined up together on barbed wire near American Falls Dam.

Cliff and Bank Swallows

Later this week I will head out with our new co-worker Morgan to continue owl surveys where Alex and I left off.

Birding at Foote Park near Boise, Idaho

If you live in Boise, Idaho, a great place to catch migrants is Foote Park.  This seems to be the first place we've found a lot of state birds as they have been arriving.  Park near the bathrooms and head uphill along a small stream and riparian area.  Warblers and Lazuli Buntings are very common in the willows, and one time we spotted a Hermit Thrush foraging along the stream.  Keep an eye out for Chipping Sparrows, California Quail, raptors, and flycatchers on the hillsides ajdacent to the trail.

Drive up Rt. 21 towards Lucky Peak Dam and cross the bridge over the dam (blue). 

Bird along the path (orange) on both sides of the riparian area.

Yesterday morning, Alex and I didn't find anything extraordinary, but the park was loaded with Yellow Warblers.  Two males in particular were singing extremely loud and chasing eachother across the path.  There was an obvious territorial dispute, but a passing female Yellow Warbler pretty much ignored both of the males and just continued foraging in the willows. 

Yellow Warbler - male, patrolling territory

Yellow Warbler - male, foraging

Yellow Warbler - male, singing on territory

Yellow Warbler - female

Nearby, we also found our FOY Western Wood Pewee, who got chased out of the Yellow Warblers territories very quickly after they realized he was there.

Western Wood Pewee

Western Wood Pewee

We counted 6 Yellow-breasted Chats as well, who seem to be spending a little more time out in the open proclaiming their territories.

Yellow-breasted Chat

Calliope Hummingbird and Other Arrivals

Last night before heading to our camper for the night, we stopped at Discovery State Park.  The tree tops were packed full of birds.  We had the typical Audubon's and Nashville Warblers, in addition to a few Yellow Warblers.  A few Red-breasted Nuthatches also made their way around the tree tops, and we spotted our FOY Bullock's Orioles (at least 4 males and a female), and a few Lazuli Buntings (2 males and a female).  The brightly colored birds stood out well against the overcast sky, as the rain started for the evening.  A large flock of Pine Siskins also flew in, and we had a flyover Caspian Tern and Peregrine Falcon!  As we were about to leave, a pair of large dark birds flew over us, and landed high in a tree nearby...finally, we found a pair of Lewis's Woodpeckers.  Two others appeared at the same time, and all 4 were pretty noisy as they settled in for the evening.  For some reason, they remind me of Count Dracula as they fly in to land on tree trunks.

Lazuli Bunting - male

Bullock's Oriole - male

Nashville Warbler

Nashville Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Lewis's Woodpecker

Lewis's Woodpecker

Lewis's Woodpecker

Back at our camper, another pair of Lewis's Woodpeckers flew in during a rain shower, making our resident pair of American Kestrels pretty unhappy.  The woodpeckers settled into the tree tops, while a few Western Kingbirds caught an evening snack.

It literally rained all night, but that didn't stop a load of migrants from arriving.  Our yard was the place to be this morning if you were a bird.  The Lewis's Woodpeckers were all over the place, and as soon as I stepped outside, I heard some hummingbird chatter and saw two dart past me into the bushes.  I couldn't tell what they were, so I ran back in to the camper to get the hummingbird feeder out that I made the night before.  As I was putting it in a tree, I spotted a male Rufous Hummingbird watching me from the bushes.  He was a little too shy to come over while I was there, so I went inside to get some oranges for any Bullock's Orioles that may have arrived. 

Rufous Hummingbird - male

Rufous Hummingbird - male

Rufous Hummingbird - male (photo by Alex Lamoreaux)

While I was inside, Alex spotted a male Calliope Hummingbird, and a Western Tanager!  As I was hanging the oranges in the tree, I got an up close look at both the male Rufous and male Calliope Hummingbird, who thought it would be OK to investigate my red flannel shirt.  Soon after, two more male Calliope Hummingbirds appeared, and also another male Rufous.  The Rufous Hummingbirds were very timid, and let North American's smallest bird dominate the feeder. 

Calliope Hummingbird - male

Calliope Hummingbird - male

Calliope Hummingbird - male (photo by Alex Lamoreaux)

While the hummingbirds were busy draining the feeder (two Rufous males eventually started feeding together), a pair of Cassin's Finch got to work quickly making a nest above our camper.  The House Wrens in the yard were busy singing their little heads off, and we finally spotted a few male Bullock's Orioles sitting in a tree.  We also had a Nashville and a Yellow Warbler in our yard for the first time.

Cassin's Finch pair, nest building

Rufous Hummingbird - males (photo by Alex Lamoreaux)

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.