I spend the weekend birding and hiking mostly in Bonner and Boundary
Counties in the northern Idaho panhandle. It was a fabulous weekend, with
clear(ing) smoke, fabulous weather, and decent migration activity. While I
didn’t see a ton of warblers, vireos, and other sexy neotrops, migration
was evident in large movements of (especially) Savannah, Lincoln’s, and
Chipping Sparrows, American Pipits, Horned Larks, Yellow-rumped Warblers,
and occasionally other species.
Friday evening I picked up a quick RED-NECKED PHALAROPE in Potlatch (Latah
County) and migrating RED-NECKED and HORNED GREBES at the De Smet Sewage
Ponds in Benewah County. I camped that evening at the Maiden
Creek/Blacktail Mountain trailhead east of Cocolalla (not much of a
campsite but a convenient and legal place to sleep in the back of a
pickup). I suspected Saturday could be a good birding day when I awoke to
the sounds of BARRED and NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL in camp at dawn. I headed
straight to Sandpoint City Beach and saw only the 2 FRANKLIKN’S GULLS, the
3 “regular” gull species, and some scattered Yellow-rumps, Savannah
Sparrows, and pipits (including some that still seemed to be flying over in
active migration). There were only a handful of Canada Geese in the park,
and I didn’t see any Brant. Oden Bay, Sunnyside Road, and Hawkin’s Point
produced more flyovers by these same species, but not a great deal else. I
continued around the northeast side of the lake to Clark Fork, where the
Driftwood Yard produced by Bonner County first AMERICAN BITTERN, ~40
Savannah Sparrow, more American Pipits, and a flock of 9 HORNED LARKS (rare
in the northern panhandle).
Still hoping for a Sabine’s Gull or a tern, I returned to Sandpoint City
Beach in the early afternoon and immediately noticed the BRANT eating bread
with the other geese. I then headed north for Boundary County where a
group of 9 SANDHILL CRANES were on West Side Road about 2 miles north of
Kootenai NWR. Ball Creek Ranch Preserve produced one each Greater and
Lesser Yellowlegs. Boundary Creek WMA was fairly quiet, but with very nice
looking mud conditions and is always a pleasant place to bird.
I finally drove up Smith Creek and picked up an easy BOREAL CHICKADEE along
FR655 below Saddle Pass. Camping at Saddle Pass produced another BOREAL
CHICKADEE but not much else. Sunday I hiked from the West Fork Mountain
Trailhead (Trail No. 21) to West Fork Lake and West Fork Mountain. I had
many birds along the way including yet another BOREAL CHICKADEE, common
western warblers, numerous FOX and LINCOLN’S SPARROWS, and other expected
montane species. Exploring West Fork Mountain and the ridge running north
to overlook Caribou Lakes produced flyover HORNED LARKS, AMERICAN PIPITS,
some young DUSKY GROUSE (3), and a couple of Sharp-shinned Hawks. It was
fairly finchless up in the Selkirks, with only a (very) few Siskins and a
small flock of Red Crossbills over West Fork Mountain.
Non-bird highlights included Moose near Cocolalla, 3 Black Bears (including
2 cubs at close range from the safety of my vehicle) in the Smith Creek
area, American Pikas and abundant Huckleberries (my first real good
satiating feast of the year) en route to West Fork Mountain.
Good Birding,
Carl Lundblad
Moscow, ID
