After a leisurely breakfast and a late start, I headed out for my daily
ride. Western Tanagers were again/still in my neighborhood, and our
neighborhood Swainson’s was up stretching her legs. While watching her, I
heard the distinct sound of an Osprey and discovered one doing loop-de-loops
high above the North End. I think he may have had a fish in his talons while
he was doing aerobatics. A real treat.
I arrived at Hull’s Gulch just hoping to see something new. As it turns out,
I met another IBLEr, Mary Rumple, and she helped me locate several birds
that had eluded me the other day. Gray Catbirds were noisy and then visible,
and a baby Great Horned Owl was peeking out of the Russian Olive near their
nest. Mary and I walked part of the center walking trail together, and it
was obvious we both have BADD (Birders Attention Deficit Disorder).
I entered Hull’s Gulch with 13 birds and left with 46, including a pair of
Cooper’s Hawks soaring above Camelsback. I then stopped at the house for
another leisurely meal and headed for the river. At Quinn’s Pond there were
at least 20 paddleboards on the water, plus a BFD dive crew practicing, so I
couldn’t find the Western Grebes that have been hanging out there. But I was
able to increase my tally to 58 birds, despite the newest chain link fencing
that totally cuts me off from Veteran’s Pond. I rode the south side of the
river to Ann Morrison Park, because the north side is impassable in many
places. When I got back to Quinn’s, there were only a few people on the
water. I scanned from several vantage points and found the 4 WEGR’s that
have been there at least a week. Final tally was 59 birds in 13 miles.
Another good day. And thank you, Mary! Tom McCabe, Boise