Every fall about this time, I come to IBLE to see if I can find volunteer help to conduct raptor surveys for the East Cascades Audubon Society’s Winter Raptor Survey Project on routes throughout Idaho. In the past, these efforts have proved very fruitful so I am hoping that some of you will be interested in getting involved with the surveys this winter 🙂
Specifically, here are the routes that are available (length in miles listed), they all have been surveyed in the past and I am hoping that we can continue collecting data on them :
Ontario, OR – for those of you living west of Boise, this is one of the original routes in the project with a great data history (91 miles)
Jordan Valley, OR – a bit more remote than Ontario but none the less a good route in the project (85 miles)
Middleton – Sand Hollow 53 miles
Payette 61
Weiser West 33
Mountain Home SE 19
Hammett 48
Hailey 82
Carey 62
Culdesac 61
Moscow North 87
Moscow South 59
Coeur d’Alene 77
Sandpoint North 66
Churchill – Oakley 68
Heyburn 41
Acequia 39
Rupert North 69
Rupert East – Minidoka 55
Burley SW 54
Burley SE 31
American Falls NW 77
In addition, I have a few routes that have been developed that have not been surveyed yet, would like to get them on line for the first time this winter:). They include:
Fairfield – Hill City 84 miles
Paul 65
Minidoka NW 68
Nezperce 71
For this project we ask our volunteers to commit to doing one survey each month for December, January and February. Surveys can be conducted on a day of your choosing to fit with your own life schedule each month, hopefully you also have flexibility to conduct them when weather is not too crazy! :). The months of November and March are also available but they are optional for this project, about 60% of all routes do get surveyed during November. You should have confidence in your raptor ID skills, especially for Red-tailed Hawks, American Kestrels, Northern Harriers, Bald Eagles, and Rough-legged Hawks which combined account for around 92% of all birds counted in this project. A pair of binoculars is a must to be able to see birds at a distance and if you happen to have a spotting scope those are very much encouraged. Some of these routes will necessitate 4WD or all wheel drive so that should be taken into consideration when you choose. You should also bring a desire to thoroughly cover and search all available good raptor habitat, rushing through a survey just to get it done will invariably lead to missed birds.
If this sounds like an activity that you would like to participate in this winter, you will be joining a group of 350 plus volunteers who last winter covered 452 routes covering more than 25,000 miles of transects each month throughout OR, ID, WA, and small parts of northern CA and UT and your assistance will be most welcome! :). Please let me know which route you wish to take on (you might include a second and third choice if your first choice has been assigned), these will be filled on a first come first served basis. I will provide you with the necessary information right away to get you prepared for what you will be doing. I brought this project into Idaho for the first time during the winter of 2011-12 and at the end of last survey season had 142 routes in play in the state. It is a very active citizen science project that gives you an opportunity to engage with this wonderful family of birds and offering your help in helping us all to better understand their life histories :). Hope to hear from some of you soon, thank you! 🙂
Jeff Fleischer
Project Coordinator
Winter Raptor Survey Project
East Cascades Audubon Society – Bend, OR (project sponsor)