Idaho Birding - Shadow Valley Golf Course

This year I am serving as the Membership Chairman for the Building Contractors Association of Southwestern Idaho. We had our annual membership golf tournament at Shadow Valley Golf Course, just down the hill from Avimor. My role today was to hang out at the 3rd tee box, meet & greet BCA members, and sell raffle tickets for BSU football games. In between groups teeing off, guess what I was doing? Yep...birding! I have always loved golf courses for birding because of the beautiful habitat that appeals to many varieties of feathered friends. I wish I could bird golf courses more frequently without getting bonked on the head by a stray ball, but alas, birding golf courses always has to be a secondary activity.

The 3rd tee box at Shadow Valley overlooks a riparian ravine full of tall cottonwoods, sumac, willows, and all kinds of shrubs and grasses. Standing above the ravine is a great vantage point for observing bird activity. Black-chinned hummingbirds were zipping by me all morning. American Goldfinch were very active and vocal. A couple of red-shafted Northern Flickers squawked from high up in the trees while several American Crows and Mourning Doves lazily flapped overhead as the gorgeous summer morning heated up.

I decided to test out my "pishing" skills and I was instantly rewarded with the cutest little Nashville Warbler that approached to within three feet of me and checked me out. Its colors were brilliant and sharp. Yellow belly, gray head, white eye-ring, and a very green back. A couple of Song Sparrows responded as well. Down among a pile of branches a House Wren skipped along. Ah...Paradise!