Greetings, Birders!
Sandpipers are moving through Challisin Custer County. We had Western and Least Sandpipers at the pond onthe way to Pennal Gulch last evening. Plenty of bird activity on theroad in and in the gulch, including voracious mosquitoes. Totalcasual checklist of 46 species here:http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S38186528
Bar-D Reservoir is turning out to bequite the hotspot, as well. On Friday, Least and Western Sandpipersthere, along with a couple of Greater Yellowlegs. A PectoralSandpiper last evening was the 101st species recorded forthat HotSpot. Terrible photos of it can be seen here:http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S38186270
If you have entered checklists for thispond, please consider merging your ‘personal location’ with the Bar-DReservoir HotSpot. (http://ebird.org/ebird/hotspot/L5718596)It is the pond on the south side of Hwy 93 about 5 miles southeast ofChallis. I see that a number of you have birded there and used GPS coordinatesor names such as Warm Spring Creek Reservoir and Old Ingram RanchPond.
Merging is done under the “Manageyour locations” tab. Gathering all the data input into the public HotSpotwill make it more useful for other birders as well as forresearchers!
While I’m on the subject, pleaseexplore the Challis area and make note of other HotSpots created thisyear (Challis Bridge, Land of the Yankee Fork State Park, McNabbsPoint). Since I bird there frequently, I will probably ask forHotSpots along Bayhorse Creek Road, too.
The birding is great in this area. Ifyou visit during the next two months, I’d be thrilled to meet up withyou to go birding here.
Wendy McCradyChallis, ID