After one of the best Yellow-rumped Warbler fall migrations I’ve had in years, place is quieting down with less bird song, as winter approaches. BC Chickadees & House Finches are the primary feeder visitors now, with an occasional RB Nuthatch. One of my faves has made its altitudinal migration, from lonely mtn canyon haunts, down to our Snake River Bottoms & its supply of Rocky Mtn Junipers filled with berries this year.
I always enjoy the Solitaires staking out certain junipers & actively defending them against intruders: mainly other Solitaires & Am Robins. And, they’re masters of voice projection with their 2-note repetitive call. It’s like they’re purposely trying to keep me looking elsewhere, when the bird can be directly overhead! Occasionally, one will break out in its thrush-type song, which puts a Robin’s to shame.
Last winter, I only found a couple of Solitaires, sporadically, around the place. So far, I’ve counted at least a half dozen individuals, in past 2 wks. Maybe they know something I don’t, about upcoming winter?!
About 10 days ago, I posted the attached message in hopes of getting some help filling some vacant raptor survey routes for our Winter Raptor Survey Project sponsored by the East Cascades Bird Alliance based in Bend, OR set to begin on November 1. I am happy to say that I have gotten some filled but not all of them so here is a list of routes still needing an interested volunteer to do the surveys 🙂
Craigmont-Mohler
Nezperce
Churchill-Oakley
Richfield
Heyburn
Minidoka NW
Rupert North
Burley East-Lake Walcott
Burley SW
American Falls-Rockland
Ashton
Dubois
If you live near these areas and have a desire to do some survey work this winter for birds of prey, please email me as soon as you can so I can get you prepared for what you will be doing. Thank you 🙂
Jeff Fleischer
Project Developer / Manager
Winter Raptor Survey Project
East Cascades Bird Alliance – Bend, OR (project sponsor)
Begin forwarded message:
From: Jeff Fleischer <raptorrunner97321@…>
Subject: Winter raptor surveys
Date: October 19, 2025 at 8:00:44 AM PDT
To: IBLE <ible@groups.io>
Hi Everyone,
Over the years, I have advertised vacant winter raptor survey routes in Idaho on IBLE. In two weeks we are about to embark on our 22nd season of surveys for the Winter Raptor Survey Project sponsored by the East Cascades Bird Alliance (formerly Audubon Society). Surveys will be conducted on 629+ survey routes covering more than 35,000 miles of transects throughout all of ID, OR, and WA, throughout the northern tier of CA and UT, throughout western MT, and in southern BC Canada. More than 500 primary volunteers will do once a month surveys from December through February, with additional options to survey in November and March.
I would like you to know that the following survey routes, with their mileage lengths, are still available for volunteers to be assigned to this winter :
Minidoka NW 85 Rupert North 69 Burley East – Lake Walcott 67 Burley SW 51
American Falls – Rockland. 75
Arimo – Virginia 56
Ashton 76
Dubois 51
The fact that we have 153 routes throughout Idaho and that we only need these 17 routes to fill the entire state for this project says volumes regarding the dedication that Idaho volunteers in this project put forth 🙂
To participate, I ask that our volunteers commit to doing one survey per month during the primary survey period from December through February. Volunteers can select survey dates each month to dovetail with their own life schedules. November and March are also available for surveying but these are optional months as they do contain migrational activity and this is a wintering project. You should have at least a pair of binoculars to help you find and ID the birds, spotting scopes are encouraged but not mandatory and you should be comfortable with IDing the common raptor species in these areas.
If this sounds like something that you would like to do, I encourage you to email me soon so that you can hopefully cover the route(s) of your choice, I will necessarily fill these on a first come first served basis. If you make that decision, I will provide additional information and instruction to get you properly prepared for what you will be doing on these surveys. This is a fun way to enjoy winter birding while at the same time collecting valuable population data for this wonderful family of birds, I hope that you will join us this winter! :). Thank you,
Jeff Fleischer Project Developer / Manager Winter Raptor Survey Project East Cascades Bird Alliance – Bend, OR (project sponsor)
Whew, glad I am not the only one, yes, IBLE is different and I go through this every time during the recruiting period :). Hope all is well with you, been one busy body this fall, have added 15 new routes in some cool places, including 4 in BC :). I keep piling it on to myself but getting even more new bodies involved in this project is a reward unto itself. I am ready for whatever I need to do to keep making this thing work ! Thanks Judy 🙂
Yep, it usually takes a few mistakes every time I post to IBLE to realize what I am doing, just have to remember to use the private email address instead of the group address ! 🙂
My apologies for sending private responses to the whole group, I keep replying to emails sent to me via groups.io. I will try to remember in the future to start a new email string privately 🙂
Thanks very much for claiming the LLS route, I know you are going to enjoy this :). Not to worry about which month you will start, if you get to the point where you know you wont do November just drop me a quick note :). In addition to what I sent you earlier, I am including:
1. My January 2025 monthly summary chart which shows what was seen and where that month. I prepare one of these at the end of each month and then send it to everyone.
Ps – to view the file, click the icon then click on the “sheet 1 – table 1 – table 1Longf” tab that appears on the page that comes up
2. Our project map showing all 614 active routes last winter, the red ones were new to the project last winter.
After you have reviewed everything, let me know if you have ANY questions, be glad to help :). Looking forward to working with you this winter and seeing what will be using your route, good luck and enjoy your outings 🙂
