Birding Idaho: Gold Fork Hot Springs

My family decided to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day and diversity by finding the greatest diversity of bird species we could!  Not really, but sort of.  We decided to head up to the Cascade area, about an hour north of Avimor, to Gold Fork Hot Springs.  The kids and I had been there with birding-Grandpa the day after Thanksgiving, but mommy had not been there yet.  I was happy to make the trip as this location is very reliable for a few bird species I have not seen in other places, so we did do a little birding along the way.

The highlight bird of the trip had to be the Bald Eagle right next to the highway at eye level while driving over the bridge over the Payette River right in the town of Horseshoe Bend.  We later found two more Bald Eagles on rocks down in the River just north of the little town of Gardena.  My kids were even willing to look away from their DVD for a minute and were truly fascinated and awestruck by the sight of Bald Eagles up close. 

Other great birds of the day were:  Northern Shrike, Rough-legged Hawk, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Mountain Chickadees, Gray and Steller's Jays, and the three American Dippers.  I was able to add several birds to my Idaho 2010 list and it was a beautiful day and wonderful time with the family.  Ya can't beat that!