I enjoyed Memorial Day weekend in the northern Idaho panhandle, mostly in
Bonner and Boundary Counties. The trip produced ~143 species, and I was
able to surpass 100 species on each of the 3 days, including 114 across
both counties on Saturday, and 109 in Boundary County alone on Sunday. I
didn’t sample any particularly high elevation habitat. Migration (both
land birds and water birds) was mostly evident on Saturday, less so on the
other days.
I began on Saturday morning with my Bonner Co.-first AMERICAN WHITE
PELICANS (2) and a late TUNDRA SWAN at the Pack River Delta at Lake Pend
Oreille. A LEWIS’S WOODPECKER was near the regular area west of Hawkins
Point and migrant Wilson’s Warblers joined many other birds in the
Sunnyside Road/Oden Bay area. Sandpoint City Beach was fun and actually
produced landbird migrants including a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT (one of just a
few Bonner Co. records), Yellow-headed Blackbird, Western Tanager, and
Lazuli Bunting. Waterbird wise, 2 FRANKLIN’S GULLS flew over, and a mixed
flock of mostly male Blue-winged and Cinnamon Teal were hanging around. I
continued around the NE side of Lake PO to the Clark Fork Delta Driftwood
Yard, where I found another flock of 14 FRANKLIN’S GULLS, 4 BONAPARTE’S
GULLS, and 2 BLACK TERNS (my first for Bonner Co.). BOBOLINKS, NORTHERN
WATERTHRUSHES, AMERICAN REDSTARTS, and LEAST FLYCATCHERS were in regular
areas near Clark Fork and a CANYON WREN (very local in north Idaho) was
near Cabinet Landing, on the Clark Fork River.
Continuing to Boundary County, thousands of Northern Rough-winged Swallows
(plus some others) were foraging over the wetlands of the Kootenai Valley,
and a VEERY was singing at Boundary Creek WMA before sunset. Otherwise,
birding was somewhat challenging in the funky wet weather. Returning to
Boundary Creek WMA on Sunday morning, I found 3-4 singing CLAY-COLORED
SPARROWS. Most or all of these were just barely north of the international
border, but at least one of them might have been on both sides. Otherwise,
there were a few N. Waterthrushes, up to 20 singing male LEAST FLYCATHCERS
(including the Smith Creek WMA Unit), and my only RED-EYED VIREO of the
trip (apparently they are still arriving). I DID NOT detect any singing
Alder Flycatchers, where Alec Hopping found one last year, but that species
may also still be arriving (Willow Flycatchers were also not in). In the
afternoon, I birded with Jon Isacoff and Roger Doucet, who showed us 2 more
singing male CLAY-COLORED SPARROWS and a LEWIS’S WOODPECKER on private
property near Crossport on the Kootenai River. The 3 of us proceeded to
nearby Perkins Lake and enjoyed numerous AMERICAN REDSTARTS, a couple of N.
WATERTHRUSH, and our FOY OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER.
Memorial Day morning I birded in the Moyie River Valley and found mostly
the usual suspects plus an interesting singing LINCOLN’S SPARROW at
relatively low elevation (possibly a migrant) and a nearby WESTERN
KINGBIRD, which are scarce in the northern panhandle. I made a second
uneventful trip to Kootenai NWR and then headed south. A group of 3
migrant Chipping Sparrows were the only notable thing at Sandpoint City
Beach. I made a final stop to walk the Rathdrum Prairie Trail (between
Huetter and Atlas), where I found 2 singing male CLAY-COLORED SPARROWS, a
pair of BREWER’S SPARROWS, and 3 VESPER SPARROWS.
Good Birding,
Carl Lundblad
Moscow, ID
