I had really nice looks at two great gray owls this morning at the Montour WMA at the intersection of Montour Rd and Main St. They were easy to spot as they sat in the trees listening for pretty. The other bird of interest were a few bohemian waxwings mixed in with a flock of cedar.
Eagle Island State Park is a great place to find raptors, and I’m up to 10 species in about two years. I saw the short-eared owl in a field north of the dirt road along the Boise River just about south of the old abattoir. This park gets regular use from dog trainers and dog walkers, and I had the owl right at sunrise before anyone else was out there. It really was a chance encounter, and the species could occur anywhere in the fields in the park. If you decide to try for one, get there early and walk through the fields. Eagle Island State Park is a fee site, but there is no charge if you have a state park pass.
Cheers