Pledge to Fledge Experience

As part of my Pledge to Fledge this weekend, I took friends and family up to the Idaho Bird Observatory on Lucky Peak above Boise and encouraged the Idaho birding community to invite non-birders and come and join us. Birds seen through binoculars are amazing and chasing them all over the country side is a blast, but birds in the hand can spark the interest of a whole different group of people.

Here's a little video clip I put together:

The Golden Eagle Audubon Society also had a scheduled field trip to the IBO and I was delighted to see that there were lots of youth and several non-birders in the group. I counted at least 30 visitors in the few hours we were there. Kids and adults alike were asking loads of great questions. There is no question in my mind that they were fully engaged in the wonderful world of birds. The IBO team was fantastic with all the guests, especially the kids.

Heidi Ware educating the public about the awesomeness of birds at the IBO banding shack.

IBO staff members Ashley (MT), Zack (MI) and Mitch (WI) work quickly to measure and band the birds and get them back into the wild while visitors observe and riddle them with questions.

Mitch does the blowing test on a bird to look at muscle, fat, and bone mass setting up a photo up for a superstar bird.

In the hand comparison of a Dusky Flycatcher and Western Wood-Pewee

Here I am about to release a Warbling Vireo

Zack teaches fascinated young ladies about the banding process.

Garret (WA) and Heidi (ID) banding birds. Heidi has a Wilson's Warbler. I think she determined it was a young female.

One other highlight that I didn't realize until I returned home and entered sightings into eBird, I cracked into the 200+ bird species for my home county here in Idaho. Birding is fun!