Friday, September 3, 2010

Idaho Birding Hotspot: Tripod Reservoir

Cedar Waxwing - I see loads of them, but they will forever be one the of coolest birds!

Tripod Reservoir is just a couple miles off of Hwy 55.  The small lake is good for fishing early in the year, but algae removes all the oxygen in the water by late summer.  Birds were plentiful around the lake including Spotted Sandpiper, Cedar Waxwing, Mountain Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Ruffed Grouse, and more.

Ruffed Grouse juvenile - just hiking around Round Valley, we flushed several Ruffed Grouse, nearly giving me a heart attack each time.  They don't usually flush until you are about to step on them as they rely on their camouflage and remaining still to avoid predators.  
The kids searching for Huckleberries.  If you've never had huckleberries, you are missing out on one of life's finer moments.  It was a little late in the season, so we didn't find enough to bring home to put in the pancakes or in the ice cream, but we found enough to eat as we picked.

No comments:

Post a Comment