On November 1, the Bend, OR based East Cascades Audubon Society’s Winter Raptor Survey Project will begin its 19th survey season, 12th in Idaho. A little over a week ago, I posted a request on IBLE for help to fill some vacant routes that I still have that are looking for volunteers to do surveys on. I managed to fill several routes through that posting but still have more to fill.
Last winter we ended with 512 active survey routes throughout OR, ID, WA, and parts of northern CA, northeastern UT, and southwestern MT covering more than 30,000 miles of transects. Over 400 survey volunteers will again survey their routes during the primary survey season of December through February. November and March are also available as optional months. This is a very large and active citizen science project that has provided a very large data base to the Peregrine Fund to augment their worldwide data base for birds of prey.
Idaho has 146 routes and the following are still in need of a volunteer to do surveys this winter:
Hill City – Fairfield 110 Winchester 70 Nezperce 71 new route, never been surveyed Coeur d’Alene 75 Churchill – Oakley. 65 Heyburn 40 Acequia 39 Rupert North 69 Burley SW 54 Burley SE 31 Paul 65 new route, never been surveyed Minidoka NW 68 new route, never been surveyed Jerome North 63
We ask that our volunteers commit to one survey per month during December through February, that they have a good grasp of raptor ID, and that they have at least binoculars to search for and ID birds, spotting scopes are preferable but not required. Surveys can be scheduled any day of the month that matches up with your life schedule each month.
If this sounds like something that you would like to be a part of, please get back to me as soon as you can with your route choice(s) and I will work with you to get prepared for the effort. This is a great opportunity to learn about raptors in your chosen area, hope to hear from you soon, thank you 🙂
Jeff Fleischer Project Coordinator Winter Raptor Survey Project East Cascades Audubon Society – Bend, OR (project sponsor)
These birds were seen on Ponderosa Pine Trail Loop (Trail #LT5) off Bogus Basin Rd. The pull out for this trail is just past the 12 mile marker on Bogus Basin Rd. There is a dirt pull-out for parking. You can not drive to the spot I observed these birds but it is an old dirt road and is easy walking.
White-headed (male) and could have been a second – approx 1/4 to 1/3 mile down the road, right at the sign for the split off trail LT6 that says “To Dry Creek”. Bird was eating at the Ponderosas on both the downslope side and upslope.
The Williamson’s (female) was out about 1-1.25 miles on Ponderosa Pine Trail (LT5). If you stay on this trail until you get to sort of a flat overlook towards Boise – it has several large boulders – the bird was behind the biggest boulder on a Ponderosa on the east edge of that area.
It was an interesting woodpecker day on this trail. There was also a Hairy and Northern Flicker.
I’ve been out scouting south end of Lake Cascade what I might be 5 white-winged scoters last night. Did not find them there this morning but went to the other side of the lake at Campbell Creek boat launch and found a group of 25 scoters and I believe the bulk are surf and there may be two white-winged in there. Too far out for me to get decent photos. Maybe folks that are in this area can find them and get some better pictures. They’re staying out in the middle of the lake and not far from them is a group of 12 to 15 mixed loons. Again, I can’t identify these yet from my photos until I get on a big screen. There is definitely a surf scoter right now at the park by the marina and boat launch in Cascade.
Got word that Linda Wentz and Pat McGrane saw the bird around 10:30ish. It didn’t stick around long. This big front coming in may push it out so today and maybe tomorrow may be the last opportunities to see it. —
