Two evenings ago JC Clancy from Nampa was on Map Rock Rd in Canyon County in SW Idaho looking at a Golden Eagle nest hoping to see some action at this long used nest, when she noticed a flurry of activity at the numerous cliff swallow nests near the Eagle nest. She managed to get some decent photos and realized she was seeing rosy-finches coming in to night roost in the swallow nests. I went out this evening about 4:45 to see for myself. Through my scope I could see a lot of activity but couldn’t get a good count until a Northern Harrier came along the cliff face and the flock swirled out in response. I’m thinking there’s about 50 Gray-crowned Rosy-finches in that area. I tried hard to find a Black Rosy-finch but distance and lighting made that difficult.
Map Rock Rd runs along the Snake River and connects with Deer Flat Rd on the west end and Hwy 45 on the east end. The spot for the rosy-finches is just east where Pump Rd comes down and joins Map Rock Rd. Pump road is closed from Dec 1- Mar 1 though so have to get to spot from west or east end. A scope is probably best for viewing and look for swallow nests just down from the rim. This is a great discovery by JC! I thought many of you ible folks might want to know about it. Viewing time would be between 4:30 to 5:30 pm.
Visiting birder – I was intrigued by reports a week ago of the big flock of larks etc but today only found singles, prob the usual wintering birds. But down at the end past the check station I had a small flock of Waxwings in the trees, all Bohemians so had a consolation prize. Maybe seen freq by most of you but nice for me to see. Judy Meredith, jmeredit@…
I have a copy of Birds in Brazil in excellent condition I would like to either donate to a worthy organization or give to a birder who wants this book. Please contact me directly if you are interested or have a suggestion.
More than half of South America’s birds are found in Brazil. This book is a 700-page natural history of Brazil’s more than 1,600 avian species, originally published in 1985 by the preeminent ornithologist of Brazil, Dr. Helmut Sick. This edition was updated and translated into English in 1993. It is a scientific explanation of Brazil’s bird life rather than a birding guide, though it also contains 45 pages of very good colored illustrations.
I appreciate your help in giving this book an appreciative home.
No spectacular winter bird visitors to report. But, after 10 days of back-to-back snows, wind & high temps into upper teens/low 20s, we’re in a heat wave today of 35°. Had been using snowshoes & cross-country skis around the place, today just snow boots, & kinda’ like trudging through 15″ of mashed potatoes.
Two visiting groups today must be enjoying the warmer temps. This morning had around 250 American Robins come in. They hit both juniper berries & Russian Olive tree fruits for a couple of hours. Saw one with a white back & white wing feathers. And, right now, there’s 50 Cedar Waxwings both sallying forth after winter midges in flight & also hitting juniper berries. Like me, all must be enjoying the patches of blue sky breaking through & the warmer temps, before the next storm due to arrive tomorrow.
I read What An Owl Knows also and it’s a great book! Packed with valuable info. Like the fact that female and male burrowing owls migrate in different directions (males go north and females go south) and why that might be. Also, the studies by Denver Holt, a retired heart surgeon but dedicated owl researcher, are so intriguing! It’s one I will refer to time and time again.
Since I learned the hard way that I can’t bike on snow and ice (ouch!), I’ve been staying indoors more and finishing up some books that might be of interest to anyone in the same situation. The first one was a gift from the elves (at least
that’s what Danette’s text said ;-). It’s by a gentleman who decided to BIKE across the country for a Big Year in 2014. The book is “Birding Under the Influence,” a reference to the author’s struggles with addiction. His name is Dorian Anderson, but it was
only after I started reading the book that I realized that he had stayed at our house during his journey! I don’t even remember how we got hooked up, and I didn’t remember his name, but I have photos of him playing with our dog in the back yard. Small world.
Anyway, well worth reading. His dedication to his plan was amazing. He found 618 species and biked over 18,000 miles. Wow!
The second book that I highly recommend is “What An Owl Knows” by Jennifer Ackerman. This book is available through our library—or at least will be when I make it down there to return it. I learned a ton about owls from all over the world.
I first heard of the book from the Owl Research Institute’s annual report. They are located up in Montana (and deserve any donations you can send there way). The book actually made me want to send them more money because they have been studying owls for quite
a long time and doing quite a job. In the book, the author does a good job of getting you up close and personal with the research going on all over the world and up close and personal with the owls and all the challenges they face. From Eurasian Eagle Owls
to Elf Owls, they are all in the book, but the Elf Owl at the end of the book is the cutest. Imagine an owl the size of a sparrow!
Sorry to go on so long, but it’s all part of dealing with cabin fever.
Me too, got all the data I needed on her four routes, sure going to miss her presence in this project next winter! :(. Thanks again for your help on this 🙂
