Still at Jacks Creek access.

Denise Hughes
Caldwell, Idaho

When the Robins woke me up around 5, I wasn’t too enthusiastic, but when the
Screech Owls chimed in, I decided I needed to go to Hulls Gulch before the
crowds. The first person I encountered was Amy Silver, and she immediately
asked if I was looking for the owl. I assumed she meant the Great Horned
Owl, so I acted nonchalant. But when she told me Mary Korkor had come all
the way from Wisconsin to find a Barred Owl on my doorstep, I got excited.

Amy gave me directions to where she had seen it. But despite searching for a
while, I came up with lots of other birds, but no BAOW. So I was really
pleased to see Amy still at the first parking lot, and she volunteered to
show me where she had seen the blighter. We biked back up the road and then
wandered around for all of 5 minutes when I realized I was staring at a very
calm and composed Barred Owl. Talk about soul satisfying views! But it
wasn’t until I got home that I confirmed that my life list did not have a
check mark beside this particular owl.

And while I dipped on Gray Catbird (again), I did find the Northern Harrier
again, only this time both male and female, again being pursued by RWBB’s.
Plus there are still W. Tanagers hanging around (nesting?) and the immature
GHOW’s were hanging around with one of the adults, and they are definitely
the same size.

Hulls Gulch got really crowded so I headed to the river, but it was only
marginally better. Final tally for the day was 50 birds in 16 miles of
biking, including 7 raptors (W. Screech Owl, Barred Owl, G. Horned Owl,
Swainson’s Hawk, RT Hawk, A. Kestrel, and Osprey).

But a big THANK YOU! to Mary Korkor for finding, and Amy Silver for sharing,
a wonderful bird.

Tom McCabe, Boise

RL Rowland and Jim James called to report a Snowy Plover at Jack’s Creek Access at CJ Strike in Owyhee County just now.

Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone

Activity sure picked up here in Teton Valley. Susan Tetonia (Big Hole Mt.. foothills)

________________________________________
From: ebird-checklist@cornell.edu
Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2018 6:41 PM
To: susan_patla@hotmail.com
Subject: eBird Report – Packsaddle road north, May 26, 2018

Packsaddle road north, Teton, Idaho, US
May 26, 2018 9:15 AM – 11:15 AM
Protocol: Traveling
3.0 mile(s)
Comments: walked up Kay’s hill and back down the new road, 59 deg F, very green world now filled with bird song, just counted on way up the road, all counts likely low
33 species

Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) 1 drumming
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 1
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 1
Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus) 1
Calliope Hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope) 1
Red-naped Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis) 2
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) (Colaptes auratus [cafer Group]) 1
Dusky Flycatcher (Empidonax oberholseri) 12 also heard Du-Hic calls, heard all along the route
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus) 8 in aspens
Black-billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia) 2
Common Raven (Corvus corax) 1
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 4
Mountain Chickadee (Poecile gambeli) 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) 2
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) 8
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) 5
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 16
MacGillivray’s Warbler (Geothlypis tolmiei) 4
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s) (Setophaga coronata auduboni) 2
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) 6
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) 4
White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) 2
Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus) 1 most must be nesting now as many more singing two weeks ago
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) 2
Lincoln’s Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) 3
Green-tailed Towhee (Pipilo chlorurus) 2
Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) 4
Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) 1
Bullock’s Oriole (Icterus bullockii) 2
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) 2 singing
Cassin’s Finch (Haemorhous cassinii) 3
Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus) 8

View this checklist online at https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Febird.org%2Fview%2Fchecklist%2FS46041338&data=02%7C01%7C%7Ccffd8672357948e3dc8408d5c338571e%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636629569099421216&sdata=ecaSC8gutWZBBcMScqjvaO1jnU4WxRo%2BOu5Nspli0Yk%3D&reserved=0

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Febird.org&data=02%7C01%7C%7Ccffd8672357948e3dc8408d5c338571e%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636629569099421216&sdata=MEBdtSBXFduWscaQgOLZB46eRH1h%2Be%2F%2Fga1yKqABCw4%3D&reserved=0)

Thanks for all the suggestions about birding hotspots. I didn’t stick around the house long enough to wait for your ideas, but seems I found one of the best ones with the help of eBird hotspots. I posted a photo on my eBird of the Barred Owl that I spotted at Hulls Gulch. I was surprised to learn it is rare here. Also found the Great Horned Owl family almost directly across the road from where the Barred was hanging out. Were it not for a distressed Mallard calling constantly, I would have completely overlooked the Barred.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend and good birding!
Mary Korkor
Hartland, WI