This afternoon I was in the Henry’s Lake Mountains and had some
interesting sightings. In addition to a flock of Rosy Finches, a Golden
Eagle and a lone Dusky Grouse I saw a large accipiter fly over. I
figured it was a Gos since that’s all I’ve seen up here this late in the
year so I got my binocs on it. It was an adult Northern Goshawk, always
a treat. As I watched it began to speed up and fold its wings back in a
steep glide. It probably covered 300 yards before diving into a patch of
Douglas Firs, made two very fast laps around a large Doug Fir, then
chased a Dusky Grouse that flushed from the tree. An amazing sight even
though it didn’t catch the grouse.

Cliff

—
Cliff and Lisa Weisse
Island Park, Idaho
cliffandlisa@octobersetters.com

Enjoyed Austin’s report from Pocatello of both Common Redpolls & a Pine Grosbeak. West of Blackfoot, I’m still seeing Evening Grosbeaks & Red-breasted Nuthatches coming into the feeders. And, reports confirm an irruption of both Pine & Evening Grosbeaks to black oil sunflower seed feeders in Ontario this month. So, it is, indeed, shaping up to be a good irruption season for winter finches.

I spent time in Island Park this past weekend & my best bird was a quite cooperative Great Gray Owl which flew in & perched on a lodgepole pine and gave for a long & satisfying observation. I was afraid to move for fear of it flying off, so didn’t dare try to take my phone out of a pocket for photos. It landed close enough that I couldn’t even focus my binocs on it! Also, numerous Trumpeter Swans in the fields between St Anthony & Ashton.

Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot