all the other birds

If you saw my previous blog post, you know I took a day off from work to drive hundreds of miles to see a rare Hooded Crane in the fields of Carey, Idaho. It was quite far away, and the weather was freezing cold with a bitter wind and occasional snow and rain, but it was still a fun adventure. And, even more fun was the long, rambling, leisurely drive home past three great areas to look at birds.

On the way back Cyndi and I visited the Centennial Marsh on the Camas Prairie, then drove to Featherville (Where else would birds be seen?), and lastly near sunset time visited the Mountain Home Reservoir.

There were other great birds seen at the same place the Hooded Crane was seen, across the road from the Carey Lake Wildlife Management Area. Water was pooled and flowing along the edges of agricultural fields. Here are some Blue-winged Teal feeding in the field.

I also saw a Virginia Rail, only the second time I've ever seen one of these.

The Centennial Marsh was brimming with water and the area that will soon be filled with wet fields of blooming camas flowers resembled shallow lakes. Wading birds and ducks were everywhere.

Here are a few of the Northern Pintail we saw.

This Sparrow, which I believe to be a Savannah Sparrow from the buffy color over the eye, was seen at the edge of the water.

The first Willets of the season had arrived and they were wading in the water.

I saw some sort of hawk or something by the side of the road and stopped the car to view it. I took a couple of photos, but it sure didn't look much like any hawk I was familiar with. It has some sort of half-eaten rodent or something in its claws. When I got home Cyndi took one look at the photo and exclaimed, "That's a Merlin!" I think she's correct about that.

We then went on to Featherville, past the Anderson Dam Reservoir and saw lots of great birds there. There were Common Loon on the water, but too far away for a photo. We saw flocks of Cassin's Finches. This next photo shows just one of them.

It took us a long time to figure out the next one. The white outer tail feathers were very obvious, but it wasn't until I saw the little buffy patch on the wing that I realized that I was seeing a group of Townsend's Solitaires. With a name like Solitaire, I would not expect to find a group of them together, but they were in a group today ... maybe it has to do with breeding season or something.

During a snow squall Cyndi spotted this large bird by the roadside. A Dusky Grouse.

And, in a band of perhaps as many as 36 birds, these Clark's Nutcrackers were working on all the seeds to be found in the cones now exposed after the winter snows melted from the ground. We also saw a dozen or so Steller's Jays.

Our final stop of the day, on the way home, was the Mountain Home Reservoir. We saw Eared Grebe and I noticed that there were also Horned Grebe out there. This final photo is one of the Horned Grebe.

Rosy-Finches

Happy Thanksgiving.

I'm thankful for birds, whether it be the Peregrine approaching 200 miles per hour in a dive to kill a pigeon, the turkey on the dining room table, or the Rosy-Finches that arrive in the winter to brighten our days.

Almost a year ago, on the winter solstice, I posted a blog entry about the Rosy-Finches I saw after unsuccessfully seeking them for years. In short, I had found Rosy-Finches, but believed them to be Black Rosy-Finches instead of the Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches I had heard were to be found there.

http://bigbangblackhole.blogspot.com/2008/12/winter-solstice-birds.html

I want to thank Louie Quintana for posting to the IBLE (Idaho Birders Linked Electronically) Listserv that he had seen Black Rosy-Finches, because he was the first one to make me aware that this separate species could be seen in Idaho at the location I visited last year.

Here's the photo from 2008. I decided it was a Black Rosy-Finch. I admit the light was less than ideal, as they come to roost in Cliff Swallow nests as the last light of day fades, but they really looked black on the chest to me.

This year I studied the pictures in my bird books once again, and the big difference would be if the birds were brown or black, it seemed to me. I figured all I needed to do was find one that looked brown instead of the black I had been seeing.


On my way there I first heard, then saw, as it came quite close by me, a Canyon Wren.

Next a pair of talkative Rock Wrens visited. This is getting quite late in the year for a summertime bird like the Rock Wren to be seen ... but the Canyon Wren will spend the winter here for sure. I was asked if I called these birds to me, and I did not. Some people watch birds, and if you sit quietly you'll discover that some birds watch people.

Then, as the light faded, by twos and threes the Rosy-Finches appeared, working their way down the cliff face, ducking in and out of various nests and crevices. The "early birds" got their pick of accommodations for the night and latecomers would be greeted by a light peck to send them out of the entrance, sending them on their way to seek an unoccupied spot. And, amid the black chested birds came one that stood out even to the unaided eye! A complete gray hood (not just a "crown") on a brown-chested bird.

Now I was free of the dilemma of just how dark the chest of the bird was ... because there are three subspecies of Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches. One is found along the coast of Alaska, so I wasn't seeing that one. But the hooded one I saw and photographed is known as the "Coastal" or "Hepburn's" race of Gray-crowned Rosy Finch. The ones with a smaller cap instead of the full gray hood are called in some older books "Cassin's" race.

I want to thank Idaho birder Terry Gray for sharing with me a photo he posted to Flickr showing both races in one photo.

Think of something you are thankful for, and either enjoy it today or make plans to enjoy it soon; and share it with your friends, family and loved ones if at all possible!

Idaho Birds

Just a couple of bird photos to share ... I have a tray feeder in my back yard. Pine Siskins have joined the House Finches.


On my last day off I took a walk by the Boise River. There are always lots of birds there, and these are Common Goldeneye and a Common Merganser, getting a running start for takeoff.

Winter Solstice Birds

Happy Winter Solstice ... the day the sun is lowest on the horizon in the northern hemisphere. Now the days will begin to lengthen once again as the sun appears higher in the sky each day.

I always wondered why birds would want to go to the arctic in the springtime. It is because the days are very long there in the summer ... the sun never sets at the height of summer. So the birds can forage for food for their new hatchlings 24 hours a day.

But in the arctic winter the sun never rises, so many birds come further south to seek food and warmth. That is why some birds can only be seen where I live in Idaho on a winter day. Yesterday I finally saw one such bird for the first time in my life.

Black Rosy-Finch

In the evening the Black Rosy-Finch seeks warmth and shelter in Cliff Swallow nests, or a cave or old mine shaft. The light was fading when they showed up to roost, but I managed to get a few photos and watched them through binoculars. I initially identified this as a Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, but there are three species of Rosy-Finches, and upon further study, I now believe this is the Black, not Gray-crowned, Rosy-Finch. I'll have to go back to see and photograph the browner Gray-crowned sometime soon!

I also saw a Prairie Falcon while out looking for Snow Buntings. I've never seen a Snow Bunting and they have been seen nearby. I didn't see any.

If you enjoy birds and the natural world, I think you should watch "The Life of Birds" hosted by David Attenborough and produced by the BBC. The Blue Planet, Planet Earth, and all of the David Attenborough shows depict nature in all of its majesty and intricate diversity.