Now that the new Idahobirds site is live I want to point out a feature I
think has tremendous potential for expansion. Kas Dumroese has made the
old Idaho Birder’s Guide available on the site. Thanks Kas. This was my
Bible when I started birding and I visited many of the sites it
includes. I found it indispensable when traveling to other parts of the
state. So if you aren’t familiar with it take a few minutes to look it over.
The site also includes a section for the Idaho Birding Trail.
https://fishandgame.idaho.gov/ifwis/ibt/pub.aspx?id=guide
The sites don’t have as much detail as the Birder’s Guide and there is
some overlap but there many sites not covered in other resources.
Definitely worth a look.
That said I started birding Island Park Reservoir years ago and had to
figure out how to access the best locations, etc. Over the years people
would occasionally want to go out there and I finally decide to put a
map together. I fine tuned it and added it to the new web site.
It was kind of thrown together quickly so I invite you to look it over
and offer any suggestions for improvement. I feel it’s one of the most
overlooked hotspots in the state and has produced many rarities over the
years despite Lisa and I being about the only people who bird it, and
not nearly often enough at that. Hopefully this will generate a bit more
coverage. I have a couple more little spots in mind for a page of their
own and I’ll get to them as time permits.
With that in mind I will also invite you to think about your own local
patch and whether you think it would be beneficial for others to know
how and hen to bird there. If you’d like to put together a write up for
your favorite place(s) we can make a map and post a site description for
all to enjoy.
Another thing that would be useful is any significant changes to habitat
or access or newly discovered birding opportunities at locations already
covered by Birder’s Guide and Idaho Birding Trail. Examples off the top
of my head would include discovery of Camas NWR and Market Lake WMA as
amazing vagrant traps during migration. Fires burning off forest or
brush. Road closures. You get the idea. Rather than arrive and discover
you can’t get there or there are no trees it would be great if these
changes were mad available on Idahobirds. Obviously these could be very
brief descriptions of relevant changes so if you know of changes to any
of the locations please take a minute to document them for everyone’s
benefit. Any other suggestions are welcome.
Hope everyone is enjoying the site as much as I am. My thanks to all who
contributed (I’m not really one of them). I know it was a ton of work
and I appreciate the effort.
Cliff
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Cliff and Lisa Weisse
Island Park, Idaho
cliffandlisa@octobersetters.com