Too bad they don’t blade those washboardy roads, because that’s what turned me back when I was there a few years ago.

I had wanted to experience Steens Mountain, but not at the hassle/expense of replacing all the shocks on my vehicle, not to mention my neck, back, etc.

FWIW, Larry, Boise

From: ible@yahoogroups.com [mailto:ible@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of MaDWhitham climb_on2002@yahoo.com [ible]
Sent: Saturday, July 1, 2017 9:10 AM
To: telemark22@sbcglobal.net; Yahoo! Inc.
Subject: [IBLE] Re: Malhuer

We actually received 3 replies, headquarters/visitors center, the narrows, the campground near Frenchglen. We had good luck at the first two and didn’t make it to the last.

The mosquitoes are atrocious! We probably would have seen a few more birds had we not been mobbed by those.

Tried to drive down to Frenchglen on the “two hour” self guided tour. Four hours later after 20 miles of washboard gravel road and seeing 10 of the stops, we were at the turn for French’s round barn. We went there and headed back to the Good Sam campground near the narrows.

MaDWhitham

It’s not the years in your life, it’s the life in your years!!!

On Jun 30, 2017, at 11:25 PM, telemark22@sbcglobal.net [ible] wrote:

It appears that no one had a chance to answer this before the OP’s visit, but we will be at Malheur in a week and a half, so we would welcome the information about the best birding spots on the refuge.

Thank you,

Larry Montgomery

Sacramento, CA

We actually received 3 replies, headquarters/visitors center, the narrows, the campground near Frenchglen. We had good luck at the first two and didn’t make it to the last.
The mosquitoes are atrocious! We probably would have seen a few more birds had we not been mobbed by those.
Tried to drive down to Frenchglen on the “two hour” self guided tour. Four hours later after 20 miles of washboard gravel road and seeing 10 of the stops, we were at the turn for French’s round barn. We went there and headed back to the Good Sam campground near the narrows.

MaDWhitham
It’s not the years in your life, it’s the life in your years!!!

On Jun 30, 2017, at 11:25 PM, telemark22@sbcglobal.net [ible] wrote:

It appears that no one had a chance to answer this before the OP’s visit, but we will be at Malheur in a week and a half, so we would welcome the information about the best birding spots on the refuge.
Thank you,
Larry Montgomery

Sacramento, CA

We will be in the Boise area in a week and a half, so we would welcome information about the best birding possibilities. We will definitely visit The World Center for Birds of Prey. We were considering one day at Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area. It sounds great, but I wonder if the concentration of birds will make it worthwhile, primarily viewing from the car. We also plan on part or all of one day at Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge, so any information about that will be appreciated.

Thank you,
Larry Montgomery

Sacramento, CA

This AM, I’ve been watching the Hummingbird activity at my feeder. A male Black-chinned has been making display flghts for a female which comes into feed, then perches at the feeder watching his displays. Another pair? Same pair, maybe going to nest again? Did read where sometimes, hummers will have two broods a summer. Certainly, more summer still present, after the one successful nesting.

Also, I had a female Rufous Hummingbird come into the feeder earlier, before the Black-chinned Hummingbirds took over. Also, found a male Lazuli Bunting & male Western Tanagers on the place.

Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot

Best spots for birding at the refuge? We are at the refuge for the day tomorrow.

MaDWhitham
It’s not the years in your life, it’s the life in your years!!!

MaDWhitham
It’s not the years in your life, it’s the life in your years!!!

Thank you to Larry Arnold for posting the Caspian Tern for me yesterday. I
have only seen CATE’s a few times along the river and I got pretty excited
when I realized the large white bird cruising the back pond at ESP was not
just another gull. This was not just a FOY, this was first in several years.

Yesterday’s ride had begun with a slow cruise through Hull’s Gulch, which
was more crowded than usual, but the birds were cooperative. I left there
with over 30 birds, stopped at the house to refuel and headed to the river.
The pair of Western Grebes at Quinn’s Pond were #40 and the Caspian was #41.
I cruised to and through Ann Morrison and found my 2d Cooper’s Hawk of the
day, terrorizing the RWBB’s near the footbridge. By the time I left, I was
up to 49 birds and I was already obsessing about nice round numbers.
Fortunately, #50 came on our evening walk with another noisy flyover by a
Common Nighthawk.

So last week it took 32 miles to get 59 birds, but yesterday it only took 15
miles to get 50. Of course, when it comes to birding from the back of a
bike, I’m not sure cost-benefit analysis is appropriate. They’re all great
days when you’re out there looking for our feathered friends, but some days
you have to work a little harder.

Tom McCabe, Boise

For Latilong 21, I first reported Black-chinned Hummingbird nest building activity on 5/29. This evening, I saw my first juvenile Black-chinned Hummingbird come into the feeder. I looked it up & hummingbirds can go from egg to flying independence in 3-4 wks time. Fast! I believe this one is a male, as it had all the characteristics noted in Sibley’s of a juvenile with about 3 black/dk purple feathers at center base of neck. An adult male & female have been hitting the feeder for a couple of weeks now.

Although, I never saw the nest itself, all the activity centered from spider web gathering to back-&-forth flights by the female Black-chinned to one of our blue spruce trees, until this past weekend, when I watched the female sallying for mid-air insects last Friday. Since then, most flights have occurred to a cottonwood & streamside willows. This progression has been quite fun & rewarding to witness.

Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot/Latilong 21

Tom McCabe asked me to post this bird he’s seeing at the “back pond” at
Esther Simplot, the pond that parallels Veteran’s Pond. Unusual to see this
bird in town per se; I might see it a little more often at Lucky Peak Res
and in the “canyon section” of the greenbelt, upstream of the Diversion Dam,
but downtown is unusual and Tom says he’s only seen a few along the
greenbelt in his birding career.

Thanks for calling, Tom =)

Larry

Howdy,
Today I found six Greater Yellowlegs and two Western Sandpipers on a seep in a wheat field off of Rio Vista Rd. on the Fort Hall Reservation. Also present were eight Killdeer, a Spotted Sandpiper, a Wilson’s Phalarope, and two Black-necked Stilts. Summer is over (for them).
Good Birding!
Chuck Trost

Always forward, never straight…

Black-capped Chickadees have been coming to my seed feeder yesterday 6/26
and today. I’ve heard but not yet seen the Red-breasted Nuthatch. 2016 I
noted both at my yard feeders on 6/22. Chickadee sounds and antics always
make me smile. Wishing all of you a smile brought to you by birds.

Diann Stone
Boise Depot Bench – Kootenai & Owyhee