Western Tanager - Discovered in Idaho by Lewis & Clark

Here in Idaho we are enjoying a huge wave of Western Tanagers coming through.  Two years ago we had a similar fantastic irruption, but this year it seems even bigger!  Even all my non-birding friends and family are calling and e-mailing me asking "What are those beautiful yellow birds with orange faces and black wings?"  They really are being seen just about everywhere in the area.

It is also fun to note that the Western Tanager was discovered in Idaho by Meriwether Lewis of the historically famous Lewis & Clark expedition on June 6th, 1806.  Almost 204 years ago to the date!

Here is Lewis' journal entry on the matter:

"we meet with a beautifull little bird in this neighbourhood about the size and somewhat the shape of the large sparrow.    it is reather longer in proportion to it's bulk than the sparrow.    it measures 7 inches from the extremity of the beek to that of the tail, the latter occupying 2½ inches.    the beak is reather more than half an inch in length, and is formed much like the virginia nitingale;  it is thick and large for a bird of it's size; wide at the base, both chaps convex, and pointed, the uper exceeds the under chap a little is somewhat curved and of a brown colour; the lower chap of a greenish yellow.    the eye full reather large and of a black colour both puple and iris.    the plumage is remarkably delicate; that of the neck and head is of a fine orrange yellow and red, the latter predominates on the top of the head and arround the base of the beak from whence it graduly deminishes & towards the lower part of the neck, the orrange yellow prevails most; the red has the appearance of being laid over a ground of yellow.    the breast, the sides, rump and some long feathers which lie between the legs and extend underneath the tail are of a fine orrange yellow.    the tail, back and wings are black, ecept a small stripe of yellow on the outer part of the middle joint of the wing, ¼ of an inch wide and an inch in length.    the tail is composed of twelve feathers of which those in the center are reather shortest, and the plumage of all the feathers of the tail is longest on that side of the quill next the center of the tail.    the legs and feet are black, nails long and sharp; it has four toes on each foot, of which three are forward and one behind; that behind is as long as the two outer of the three toes in front."  Courtesy of http://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/read/?_xmlsrc=1806-06-06.xml&_xslsrc=LCstyles.xsl

There was even a brief campaign around 1930 to make the Western Tanager the State Bird of Idaho by a lady who recognized the historical merit of the Lewis & Clark discovery in Idaho.  Unfortunately, not many Idahoans at the time recognized the bird and the school children voted instead for the Mountain Bluebird (see the rest of the story here).  

Many Idahoans are finally getting familiar with our Western Tanager!

210 in 2010: eBird Idaho - Week 22

For those of you checking into the Idaho Birding Blog for the first time, I am hosting a little competition to see who can be the first eBirder in Idaho to see "two-ten in twenty-ten", that is 210 species of birds this year!  That goal has already been reached!  Now we are focusing on the second part of the competition which is to see who can submit the most checklists to eBird by the 210th day of the year (July 29th).  Here are the rules of the game.

The eBird team and KAYTEE have been very supportive of this effort to encourage birders to be eBirders and are donating $210 worth of cash or prizes to the winners!

Here is the current leader board...

Hyperlinked names are those that have been featured in my weekly blog segment called Idaho Birder Profiles where we spotlight one of Idaho's enthusiastic birders!

Checklist Leaders:

1.  Jackson Whitman 368

2.  Cheryl Huizinga 250

3.  Lew Ulrey 236

4.  Charles Swift 222

5.  J Harry Krueger 159
6.  Terry Gray 149

6.  Steve Butterworth 147

8.  Lynn Davenport 131
9.  Jonathan Stoke 129
10.  Rohn McKee 117  

Species Leaders:
1.  J Harry Krueger 242 - 1st to reach 210!
1.  Darren Clark 238 - 3rd to reach 210!
3.  Steve Butterworth 234 - 2nd to reach 210!
4.  Cheryl Huizinga 221 - 6th to reach 210!
5.  Heidi Ware 216 - 4th to reach 210!

6.  Jay Carlisle 215 - 5th to reach 210!

7.  Cliff Weisse 207
8.  Zeke Watkins 201
9.  Robert Mortensen 198
10.  Terry Gray 193

Special thanks to our sponsors:

Wilson's Phalarope

Wilson's Phalaropes are cool looking birds and they don't seem too afraid of people and allow one to get fairly close.  I have seen them in reservoirs, but most often in flooded pasture lands as pictured.  All of my Idaho and Oregon sightings have been in the months of May through July and they seem fairly common during these months in suitable habitat.  

They are fun to watch.  I've seen them swimming in mad circles in a discombobulated swarm of a couple dozen, or individually gently preening themselves.  This is an example of a bird, like humans, where the females are prettier than the males.  Wikipedia has an interesting note: the males incubate and tend the young as the females migrate once they lay the eggs.

In flight, for the inexperienced like me, they can be hard to figure out.  My father-in-law and I once studied a flying shorebird as it circled over us in the air near Danner, Oregon.  For the life of us, we couldn't figure it out for a half an hour, while the whole time it kept flying round and round.  Finally, we got to the Phalarope section in our Sibley guides and realized what it was we were seeing.

The picture below was simply to point out what the back of the head and neck look like with the black and white constrasting stripes.

Evening Grosbeak - love the Unibrow!

Old-timers in Idaho's Treasure Valley (the greater Boise area) recall with fondness the amount of Evening Grosbeaks that they used to get in their yards.  For the last couple of decades Evening Grosbeaks have been few and far between in the valley.  I personally had only seen them in the mountains around McCall, Idaho.  It has been heartening to hear that several folks in Boise, all in the very mature landscape areas, were having Evening Grosbeaks show up in force at their feeders.  I visited the homes of a couple birders, and as luck would have it, I dipped at both locations, having just missed them by minutes.  A couple days later I tried the Henderson home again while on the way to check a nearby remodel I am working on and was rewarded with lots of Evening Grosbeaks and close-up views as these photos attest.

These mountain birds look like they could be tropical vagrants.  These males really know how to sport an attractive unibrow!  I enjoyed looking at these birds up close.  The brown hue of the face; white, black, and yellow wings.  The female is very distinct.  If it wasn't for the striking males, we'd probably regard her more as the beauty that she is.

Photo-tip Request:  How would I prevent that cool yellow uni-brow from being over-exposed and still get quality detail on the rest of the bird?

Thanks to Bob Whitlatch and Danette Henderson and both of your families for letting me invade your homes and yards for a couple of days to see these awesome birds in town.

Idaho Camera Birding Photo Competition - Results!

On behalf of Idaho Camera and the Idaho Birding Blog, we want to congratulate the winner and honorable mentions of our first birding photo competition! We are grateful for all the entries, enthusiasm, and support from the participants.  Special thanks to our volunteer judges who are fantastic photographers and birders that I enjoy following.  I have learned a lot from the judges' comments about what separates great photos from good photos and I hope you learn something too.  Just so the contestants know, I asked the judges to give suggestions about what might take these photos to the next level, so please accept their critique knowing their best intentions.

Let's get back out there across scenic Idaho and take more great pictures of birds and we'll see you for the second round of this photo competition in November!

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1st Place

Bohemian Waxwing, by Kathleen Cameron

taken March 5, 2010 in Bellevue, Idaho 

with a Nikon D200 camera, AF-VR Nikkor 80-400mm lens

Judges Comments: 

This image immediately caught and held my attention, and really stands out as a superior image on a multitude of levels.  From a compositional point of view, the way eye travels through the image using the branch and the shape of the bird, there really isn't any way for the eye to easily leave the image.  It has a very simple, warm color pallet that is very pleasing.  The image is slightly backlit, which really emphasizes the shape of the bird, but not silhouetting it.  I like the way the creator of this image separated the background with very shallow depth of field, yet the bird appears to be in perfect focus, that was very well done.  The action of the bird tells a story, and the creator of this image caught it right at the perfect moment where this bird is about to pluck the fruit off of this twig.  Stepping back, there is almost an Art Nuevo element to this image.  It's the kind of image that was popular during this art movement and the people of that time would have really appreciated this image as I do.  I really don't have anything I could add to improve the image.  It's really good!

Excellent image quality from good exposure and focus. Good size in the frame. Interesting active pose. Eye has catchlight for a good live appearance and viewer eye contact.

Bohemian Waxwings are beautiful birds, so the subject matter helps, but the photographer doesn't rely on the beauty of the bird alone for the success of the image. The bird is doing something (eating), which is interesting. The gesture of the bird makes for a good composition - the frame is filled with the bird and I find myself moving throughout the frame. There doesn't seem to be wasted space. The light is is also really nice, it's soft, but direct. Also the bird is sharp (a simple, but very important element in a successful image).

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2nd Place

Northern Pygmy Owl, by Terry Gray

taken Sept 25, 2009 near Moscow, Idaho

with a Sony Cyber-shot DSC H9

Judges Comments:

I like the pose--the interesting head tilt. Any time one can capture something other than a typical "field guide pose" it makes for a more interesting subject. The photo is sharply focused and has very low noise. The contrast and brightness are good. The cropping is a bit tight.

What a great shot of a pygmy owl. What makes this photograph work for me is how close the photographer is to the bird, how sharp the details of the bird are (including the slightly bloody bill), and the shallow depth of field (which helps separate the bird from the potentially busy background). If there is anything that bothers me about the image, it's how much attention the big sharp branch in the foreground demands from me when I look at the photograph. I'm not sure of the solution (being back a bit further, a vertical composition, or using a slightly shorter lens perhaps). It's a small thing though. I really like the photograph.

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Idaho Camera is a great resource for birders and bird photographers.  Their friendly staff can help you select the right camera equipment to take stunning photos.  Classes are even offered to help you get the most out of your equipment.  Idaho Camera also offers a nice variety of binoculars and spotting scopes.  You can buy their products online or personally at their four locations in the Treasure Valley.

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Honorable Mention (photos receiving top five votes and judges comments): 

(click on all photos to enlarge and enjoy more)

Great Blue Heron, by Bob Whitlatch

Judges Comments:  Great Blue Herons are impressive birds. I don't know if I've ever looked this carefully at a Great Blue Heron before though. The photographer has done something important. He's made me pay more attention to a very familiar subject. He did this by getting close to the bird, photographing it in good light that really defines the texture of the bird, and photographing the bird in fresh breeding plumage. The bird is in focus (very important). Also, the bird is slightly left of center in the frame, but the bird is looking to the right side of the frame, this is a nice use of space.

Western Screech Owl, by Mike Morrison

Judges Comments: I like how the pattern and color of the owl matches the tree. The focus is a little soft on the back of the head, so a bit more depth of field might be nice, but does not detract. I wonder if there was even  

a better cropping choice? This is such a nice photo, I'd like to see it cropped a couple of different ways to compare.

Burrowing Owl, by Kathleen Bowman

Judges Comments: This is the kind of image I would see in National Geographic.  The first thing that strikes me is the eyes of the owl that captures the viewer and holds them.  It is an intense stare and you get a connection to the owl because of this.  I like the way the creator of this image simplified the background through shallow depth of field, the background is completely indistinct and just becomes a lovely green backdrop to this image.  I like the rim light that really make the bird stand out from the background, and the fact there is enough shadow detail for those eyes to grab you.  I think the only thing I find myself wanting is a little more intensity in the eyes...not too much.  That might be accomplished through a low-power fill in flash or perhaps some mild post-process.  All in all, a great image.

American Goldfinch, by Leo Miller

Judges Comments: Really like the simple colors of this image, how the color of the bird is contrasted against the soft green background, and the little explosions of purple flowers it is perched upon.  Once again, I'm finding good eye contact with bird...I'm finding a connection with the bird through that.  The image is taken with shallow depth of field and I really like how it separated the bird and flowers from the background and the lighting is perfect for this image.  I'm debating on how the center composition works in this.  Center composition (subject placed in the middle of the frame) really needs a lot of additional impact (leading lines, graphic elements) to successfully work...otherwise you want to stick to "rule of thirds" composition.  (There is a big, academic dissertation as to why...I'll spare everyone of that for the moment)  In this case, I'm finding myself wanting the bird to shifted slightly to the right so that it's looking into the rest of the frame probably would have given this image just a little bit more impact.

Excellent exposure on difficult yellow (many photographers over exposure yellow and lose detail). Perch is natural and adds interesting color to composition. Composition could be improved by having a bit more space on top and a little cropping on the right to move the bird out of center.

Swainson's Hawk, by Jennifer Hall

Judges Comments: Commanding eye contact. Interesting plumage. Nice habitat setting. Good sharpness.

Spotted Towhee, by Bob Davis

Judges Comments: This photo has excellent artistic framing with the placement of the bird and hawthorn, worthy of imitation.  I'd like to see if this photo looked even better a touch brighter and with a hint more sharpening.

Bullock's Oriole, by Kathleen Cameron

Judges Comments:  This photo speaks a lot to color and texture.  I like how the creator of this image used harsh light to show the texture of the bird, the orange and the fence they were on.  Lighting also made for strong colors which is key to this image.  I like the eye contact that the bird is making with the viewer...I get a sense of the personality of this bird and the story behind the scene.  The background is wonderfully simple and lets the bird really be predominant in the scene.  I find the highlight on the fence in the lower right to be a little distracting, if you put your thumb over the highlight, the image becomes even stronger.  You could tone it down a little through some post-process work and that would strengthen the image quite a bit.

Gosling, by Ryck Tanner

Judges Comments:  Whether they are animals or humans...babies are always fun and interesting.  This image of a gosling is no exception...  The colors are great, the subject stands out from the background.  The texture on the bird just makes you want to reach in and touch it, the eye contact, the lighting all work together nicely.  The lower part of the frame seems cropped in a strange place.  I think I would either like to see more of the feet, or a closer crop on the head.  I would have liked to see the image shifted a little to the right in the frame.  All in all, a good image!

I've seen plenty of terrible duck and geese photographs (my students turn them in all of the time). This is a great photograph of a gosling. I think what makes it work for me is the color, the shallow depth of field, and the slight back-lighting, which gives the bird a bit of rim lighting, which is especially noticeable with this fresh down. If I had any suggestion it would probably be a vertical composition. It is a bit awkward to cut the bird off at the belly. I'd love to see the legs and feet. However, I really like this photograph. It's difficult to make an interesting photograph of an overly photographed subject (in this case a baby goose).

Short-eared Owl, by Jennifer Hall

Judges Comments: Excellent image quality. Great eye contact. Nice habitat. Natural color.

Oregon Junco, by Debbie Courson Smith

Judges Comments: The textures and subdued colors in this photo were quite attractive. The focus and lighting were excellent. The cropping is too tight--perhaps cropping out some undesirable element. Ideally the bird needs more room within the frame, above the head and in the direction the bird is facing.

Party!, by Kay Asher

Judges Comments: I love the action in this photograph. It does look like a party. I also like the fact that the photograph is of very ordinary birds, house sparrows and a house finch. The success of the photograph relies more on the action and overall feeling of the photograph than it does on the beauty or the intrigue of the individual birds. It's a really happy fun image. If I would improve on anything it would be a slightly more careful composition. There is sort of a lot going on and some of the birds bunch together. Also that weird out of focus greenish-yellow edge on the right could probably be cropped out. This photograph makes me smile though.

Western Meadowlark, by Linda Milam

Judges Comments: Initially this photo was not in my top list of five. Technically, it has good color and brightness and focus. The style might be called BOAS (bird on a stick). This gives a rather uninteresting background (solid sky). However, the more I looked at it, the better I liked the potential. So, yes, I am including this based on how good this photo could be with a couple of minor changes. First, there is a dust spot in the sky at two o'clock from the back of the bird and one body length away that should be cloned out. Second, birds often look better offset within the frame, not centered, with more space above the bird's head and in the direction it is facing. This shot should be more tightly cropped (maybe up to 60% of present size), losing half the fence post and placing the bird more to the lower right within the frame (bird's bill close to center).  (example below created by website host)

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Please show Idaho Camera your thanks for sponsoring this competition by visiting their website and being a patron!

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A few sentimental favorites from the Idaho Birding Blog host and his wife:

Canada Geese, by Linda Milam

American Goldfinch, by Debbie Courson Smith

Red-tailed Hawk with Snake, by Louinda Huston

Black-crowned Night Heron, by Louinda Huston

American Avocets, by Arenett Grant

California Quail, by Kevin Walker

Canada Goose, by Gene Halberstadt

Red-tailed Hawk, by Leo Miller

Idaho Birder: Fred Bassett

Fred Bassett

Montgomery, Alabama

(bands hummingbirds in Idaho from mid-May to mid-August)

How did you get into birding?  Did you or do you have a birding mentor and can you tell us about that person?  Did you have a “spark bird”?

I was casually interested in watching bird while I was an Air Force pilot but a more serious interest developed after retirement.  I was lucky to meet Bob Sargent who taught me to band and ignited my interest in studying birds in general and hummingbirds in particular.

Were you interested in birds and birding prior to getting into hummingbirds?

I started just trying to identify birds.  Starting to band all types of birds made me want to learn more about them.  That led me to start banding hummingbirds.

What got you into the hummingbird banding?

I started banding all types of birds at a large migratory banding station we have on the gulf coast where I continue to band each April and October.  After a couple of years, I started banding hummingbirds which doesn’t require a crew and lots of equipment like general banding.  I started traveling in the winter to identify and band hummingbirds in the Southeast, and doing that kind of hummingbird research pretty quickly became a full time passion.

Where and how many places do you travel to to do the banding?

In the winter, I am the hummingbird bander for south Alabama and Florida.  In  April, I band all types of birds during spring migration banding at Fort Morgan, AL.  Then I head west for summer banding.  I normally band in several states on the way to Idaho.  This summer I will band for a month in Texas, New Mexico, and Utah before getting to Idaho in mid May.  I band hummingbirds all over Idaho for three months from mid May until mid August.  I go back to Texas to band at several locations on the way home to Alabama.  In October, I band fall migrants at Fort Morgan before starting winter hummingbird banding.  I have banded hummingbirds at more than 1,000 locations from south Florida to California.

How many times have you been to Idaho for banding?

I have banded in Idaho for the past nine summers.

Do you have any fascinating tidbits of data related to Idaho’s hummingbirds you could share with us?

Hummingbird migration is a focus of my research.  Three years ago in Northfork, ID I caught a Rufous banded two years earlier near Victoria, BC.  Last summer in Inkom, ID I caught a Black-chinned banded in the winter of 2007 in New Orleans, LA. 

What percentage of banded hummers are recaptured in subsequent years?

The percentage of returns depends on where and when I band.  When I band during nesting season or on wintering grounds, I get about a 5% return rate.  It is much higher in some cases.  I have a 20% return rate for female Rufous wintering at homes in the Southeast.  Return rates for birds banded during migration are lower.

How often do you go birding? And where do you regularly go birding?

I don’t consider myself much of a birder anymore.  I spend so much time banding that I seldom go birding. 

Where is your favorite place to bird?

I enjoy going to new places to find rare birds or birds that weren’t known to be there.  That can happen anywhere.

What is your favorite bird or hummingbird experience?

This winter in Alabama and Florida, I recaptured two Rufous and a Black-chinned hummer back at homes for the eighth winter.  It is a real privilege to get to know individual birds like that.  I beg them to tell me where they go in the summer, but they won’t tell me.

Any funny or embarrassing birding or hummingbird experiences you would be willing to share?

Trying to catch hummingbirds for multiple times can be funny and exasperating.  Some get to know me and all my tricks.  I match wits with creatures with a brain the size of a BB and get beat often.  Once in awhile, a hummer will fly up the line I’m holding to close the trap door.  They will hover right in front of me as if to let me know I can’t catch them.

Which birding publications, websites, blogs do you read and recommend?

Hummingbirds.net is a web site that is a great introduction to hummingbirds. Most publications I read are technical guides which wouldn’t be of interest to most birders.

Which is your favorite field guide and why?

The Peterson Guide to North American Hummingbirds is an excellent ID book.

Which bird-related books in your home library do you recommend to other birders?

The book I most often recommend to birders is “Living on the Wind” by Scott Weidensaul which is about bird migration.

What future birding plans do you have?

I’m starting a new research project this summer to study the size of Black-chinned hummingbirds on their nesting grounds.  I want to see if the increase in size from south to north is gradual or if there are different populations.

Are you involved with any birding organizations?

I volunteer with the Hummer/Bird Study Group which does most of the winter hummingbird banding in the Southeast and runs the migration banding station at Fort Morgan, AL. Web site is hummingbirdsplus.org.  I also have started a non-profit organization called Hummingbird Research, Inc. to help with my research.  Web site is hummingbirdresearch.net.  The site is incomplete.

If one were interested, how would one go about joining the authorized hummingbird banding fraternity?

The Bird Banding Lab controls bird banding permits, and they have tightened requirements to get a permit.  They require banders to have a research project that adds to the knowledge of birds rather than just putting bands on birds.  You work with a master bander as a sub to develop the skills needed to band.  To get a master permit, you have to submit a research proposal to the Bird Banding Lab and have recommendations from three master banders.

Do you have a nemesis bird (a bird you have sought after, but it continually escapes being seen by you)? If so, which species?

I’m always trying to band a new hummingbird species.
 

Anything about your family you’d like to share with us?

My daughter lives in Boise which is how I got started banding in Idaho.

Which species of hummingbird is your favorite?

I find all of them to be fascinating.  The one in my hand is my favorite.

What amazes you the most about birds?

How tough hummingbirds are always amazes me.  They appear to be such delicate creatures, but they are tough as nails.  They are real survivors.

Anything else that you would like to humbly brag about?

Nothing to brag about.  Hummingbirds keep me humble. The more I learn about them, the more I realize how little I know.

Total life list?

No lists.  I’m more interested in studying birds than checking off new species.

Most exotic place you’ve gone birding?

Ecuador. 150 species of hummingbirds there blew my mind.

Your mission in life as birder?

Do original research that adds to what we know about hummingbirds and share it in hopes of making life easier for them.

Idaho Birding Hotspots: Camas NWR & Market Lake WMA

Sandhill Crane in the field along the road at Market Lake WMA

Owing to the wondrous reports of migration birding in Eastern Idaho, and of course the regular reports of Idaho rarities seen there, I had to check it out for myself.  I was not disappointed.  I was also anxious to meet some of the Eastern Idaho hotshot birders and bird/nature bloggers like Bill Schiess, Cliff Weisse, Darren Clark, and Steve Butterworth.  Again, I was not disappointed.  Harry Krueger from Boise also joined us in the birding bonanza.  I had a blast birding with these guys.  They were good people and they were so concerned about me seeing every bird that they often went out of there way to make it possible.  My tally had 113 species.  Five life birds.  Sixteen first-of-year birds, eleven of which were state-birds for me.  Had it not been for overcast weather and a chilling windy downpour Saturday afternoon, it might have even been better.

The birds that made my list of highlights include:  Olive-sided Flycatcher, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Common Grackle, American Redstart, Swainson's Thrush, Black, Common, and Forester's  Terns, a Black-and-White Warbler, and a Northern Waterthrush.  The numbers of Wilson's Warblers blew me away, and the locals tell me that usually there are more this time of year.  The locations are fabulous for birding and worthy of annual pilgrimages, especially during spring and fall migration.

Male and female Ruddy Ducks at Market Lake WMA - I just love that blue bill!

Both Camas NWR and Market Lake WMA both have vast marsh lands with some open water right along the roads for easy access for birders of all physical abilities.  The numbers of birds in the air and on the water gave me a bit of sensory overload and I had to calm down my rapid heart beat and my darting eye balls to focus on one bird at a time.

Common Grackles on the side of the road in Hamer, ID near Camas NWR 

- life birds for me and not very "common" in Idaho

Both locations also have clusters of trees and shrubbery which is an oasis and a magnet for birds migrating across the southern Idaho desert.  Another cool feature about both birding hotspots are the human-planted windrows.  They are made up of straight lines of cottonwoods, russian olives, willows, and pea bush, usually with space in between each row of trees/shrubs which makes for easy walking.  We'd split up and each slowly walk down the path at the same pace between the tree and shrub types, with a couple guys on the flanking the outsides of the windrow.  Some birds would gently move in front of us, while others paid us little attention as we passed by.  When we saw something special, we could alert the group and all enjoy the bird.  This method insured that we didn't miss much either.  If you go to these locations and only look at the marshes, you are missing out.  Don't forget to walk the windrows!  The area around the Camas NWR headquarters is really good too.  Lots of large trees just full of birds.

To get an idea of what a great place for birding these locations are, check out eBird.  Go to the "View and Explore Data" tab, click on "Bar Charts", Select "Idaho" and click on the "Hotspots" button, then click "continue".  This brings you up the entire list of Idaho eBird hotspots.  Check the boxes for Camas NWR and  Market Lake WMA.  You might even throw Mud Lake into the mix as it is also close by.  This generates a frequency of occurrence bar chart showing that 247 species have been reported to eBird.  I didn't even see half of what is possible!  I'll bet there are 50 more species that have not yet been reported to eBird for these locations.

My focus on birding rather than photography, combined with the poor weather and lack of light prevented me from getting many photos.  I only ended up taking 20 shots of three birds there.  Oh, well.  All the more reason to go back!

Some nice birding tools that helped me enjoy this trip include:  the Idaho Birding Trail website from the Idaho Fish and Game, The Idaho Bird Guide: what, where, when; and my DeLorme Atlas of Idaho.

Thanks again to Bill, Cliff, Darren, and Steve for showing us a great time birding in Eastern Idaho!

Gray Partridge

Avimor is a pretty good place to find Gray Partridges.  The Chinese Well Riparian Area is a place I see them 50% or more of the times I visit.   Last summer we had about three dozen of them including all the recent hatchlings.  Local game bird hunters often refer to them as "Huns", short for Hungarian Partridge, giving us a clue that they were imported birds from Eurasia.

I felt pretty lucky to get these photos because usually I only see them when they flush and I catch a glimpse of their orange face and tail feathers.

Chipping Sparrow

I remember my first time seeing Chipping Sparrows was in March of 2006 when my father-in-law Lynn Davenport and I were sitting at Marion Paton's backyard in Patagonia Arizona.  They were feeding on the ground on the seed that had been scattered.  (I recently read that Marion passed away in 2009 for which I am sorry to hear.  I hope that the caretakers of her home will continue to feed the wild birds.)

Pine forests in Idaho and eastern Oregon have been good places to see them.  I have seen and heard them trilling from the tops of sagebrush in my own neighborhood and on the Mayfield loop just outside of Boise. Listen to them here.  Recently I had a large flock moving through the tree-lined Avimor Drive and took a few photos.