Sitting home with envy of Howe Idaho's Crested Caracara (see Darren Clark's blog Wanderings for recent photos). I was nervous I wouldn't be able to get out birding today. Due to rain, we cancelled the family sledding trip this morning. This afternoon a three hour birding window opened up and so I made the best of it with a whirlwind tour of my home community of Avimor then along Boise's Hill Road and Warm Springs Ave out to Discovery State Park at Lucky Peak and ending the day at Dry Creek Cemetery.
The highlights of the day include:
Black Rosy-Finches - I saw at least a half dozen of them mixed in with about 40 Gray-crowned Rosy-finches. My life bird #318 and my state of Idaho bird #198.
Peregrine Falcon - in downtown Boise not far from the nesting box. This is only my third Peregrine Falcon sighting and my first in Idaho, so Idaho bird #199. I am only one bird away from tying my Arizona life list total number, although mostly different species.
Eurasian Wigeon - at the Optimist Youth Sports Complex in Boise.
Sharp-shinned Hawks - one at Avimor and one at Dry Creek Cemetery.
Bald Eagles - two, an immature and one mature, at Discovery State Park.
So, all told, 12 checklists submitted to eBird today and 29 species including one lifer to start of the year 2010! Not a bad start, especially for a three hour tour!
Hey, did you take Gilligan on that 3 hour tour? (Sorry! I couldn't resist!)
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the life bird! That is so awesome! I have never seen any rosy finches. I would LOVE to add them to my life list! I am up to 40 species so far but I will be going out tomorrow to see if I can increase that total. I am so glad you have joined in the fun!