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Check out those claws on this pair of digging machines! Despite its lack of feathers, American Badger was voted the "Bird of the Tour." Photo by guide Eric Hynes.

Thanks so much for joining Mitch and me on this maiden voyage of Idaho: Snake River to Sawtooths. The name of the tour might have been more appropriate had I called it Idaho: Plan B. You all handled some unseasonably harsh weather with aplomb. The steady precipitation or the threat of it kept us from reaching some of the sites described in the itinerary. Luckily some thorough scouting allowed us to tweak our days on multiple occasions and still have a fantastic time.

After our meet and greet dinner on day one, given the forecast for the next morning, we ventured out for an evening outing. We watched in amazement as multiple Dusky Grouse males displayed roadside. A Northern Pygmy-Owl began to call in the fading light, followed by several calling Common Poorwill, getting our adventure off to a great start.

The next morning we headed back to the same riparian corridor and observed Yellow-breasted Chat, Lazuli Bunting, Black-headed Grosbeak and Bullock's Oriole before adding Lewis's Woodpecker, Great Horned Owl fuzzy branchers, Bald Eagle, Belted Kingfisher and a drumming Ruffed Grouse. The cherry on top occurred when Ellen spotted a different Ruffed Grouse foraging behind us. In the afternoon we made our way over to the Snake River Canyon and peered in at Dedication Point. We quickly added Rock and Canyon wrens, Say's Phoebe, White-throated Swift and Prairie Falcon.

Day three began with the buzzing swarm of Bank Swallows at Walters Ferry, where we crossed the Snake River. Undisturbed sagebrush habitat hosted Brewer's, Lark, Vesper and Sagebrush sparrows, while a Horned Lark performed an enchanting display flight overhead and a chorus of Western Meadowlarks rang out. Muddy road conditions dictated that we divert from our original plans for the afternoon. Ted Trueblood Wildlife Management Area proved to be a welcome option as we marveled at the incredible concentration of Cliff Swallows and Swainson's Hawks. None of us could have predicted how many thrilling sightings we would have on Simco Road: a twister in its infancy, Long-billed Curlews displaying and escorting chicks, a hunting Prairie Falcon repeatedly diving after a Mourning Dove and then a European Starling, and those were just the bird highlights. A Pronghorn with a newborn was adorable but not quite as exciting as a digging American Badger. We drove away giddy about our fortune only to be shocked by the luck of seeing two more badgers close to the road. A trip out to the mouth of Jacks Creek in CJ Strike Wildlife Management Area added pelicans, grebes, shorebirds, cormorants, quail and an unlikely Western Screech-Owl that appeared to be hunting during the day.

The next morning began with a quick stop at Indian Creek Reservoir to pad our list with some ducks and shorebirds, including a migrant flock of Red-necked Phalaropes that couldn't settle down. From there, we departed the Boise area and made our way to the South Hills. Our primary target for this region was to see the recently split Cassia Crossbill, which required that we reach upper elevations. Mother Nature conspired against us at first with a late spring snow. Patience and a little luck allowed us to reach our destination and the crossbills cooperated almost immediately once we were in place.

Since we were unable to access "PJ" (pinyon pine - juniper habitat) earlier in the tour, we started day five with an unscripted trip to City of Rocks National Reserve. Black-throated Gray and Virginia's warblers, Juniper Titmouse, Green-tailed and Spotted towhees, and Townsend's Solitaire were all new for the trip. A small flock of Pinyon Jays crossed our path on our way out. Midday was spent traveling to the Idaho Falls region. After an early dinner, we ventured to Market Lake Wildlife Management Area for a pretty magical evening. Hordes of raucous Yellow-headed Blackbirds and Marsh Wrens welcomed us, while a majority of North American duck species paddled in the canals. Bugling Sandhill Cranes and a hunting Peregrine Falcon were standouts. As we turned the vans back toward the hotel, Black-crowned Night-Herons and an American Bittern emerged for their nocturnal activities.

Day six kicked off with a birdy morning at Camas National Wildlife Refuge. Trumpeter Swans, calling Soras and Virginia Rails, and point-blank Eared Grebes were just a few of the highlights. The displaying Ruddy Duck was really cool too. Next stop was at Mud Lake Wildlife Management Area. Our approach was marked by a cooperative Loggerhead Shrike and Eastern Kingbirds. Numerous migrant Western Tanagers and Yellow-rumped Warblers were piled up along the north shore. We added a Common Loon, Black Terns, Bonaparte's and Franklin's gulls, Red-necked Phalaropes and Red-breasted Mergansers on the water. A copse of trees at our picnic site attracted migrants like Hammond's and Cordilleran flycatchers, and Wilson's and Orange-crowned warblers. In the afternoon we traveled up to Stanley through some of the most picturesque landscapes in the West.

The beautiful landscapes continued the next morning as we studied American Dipper, Wilson's Snipe and Mountain Bluebird. In Garden Valley we took a walk through Ponderosa Pines and scored Vaux's Swift, Calliope Hummingbird, Cassin's Vireo, Pygmy Nuthatch, Western Bluebird and displaying Black-headed Grosbeak. We eventually landed in McCall and spent the afternoon on the shores of Little Payette Lake where we studied a male MacGillivray's Warbler at arms reach.

Our last morning in the field was spent in the Bear Basin region outside McCall. Numerous Evening Grosbeaks teed up for scope views while we teased out a number of new species from the northern forest: kinglets, jays, thrushes, plus Fox Sparrow, Townsend's Warbler, Williamson's Sapsucker and Pileated Woodpecker. Our adventure concluded when we arrived back in Boise.

Thanks again for choosing Field Guides for your birding adventure in Idaho. Mitch and I had a blast birding with all of you and we look forward to our birding paths crossing again in Ecuador, Colorado or wherever the birds lead us.

Cheers,

Eric

Here is a key for the acronyms used in the following text for the various sites we visited: NWR = National Wildlife Refuge, WMA = Wildlife Management Area, NF = National Forest, NCA = National Conservation Area, and NR = National Reserve

KEYS FOR THIS LIST
One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant

One of the behavioral highlights of the tour was watching this drake Ruddy Duck perform his "bubbling display." Check out the comments for this species to learn more about it. Photo by participant Jeff Wahl.

Our first evening together was a magical one. We enjoyed tremendous views of male Dusky Grouse displaying. Photo by guide Eric Hynes.

It is not hard see how the Sawtooth Mountains were named. Participant Mary Lou Barritt shared this wonderful landscape image from outside Stanley.

A number of you remarked that you had never seen a MacGillivray's Warbler this well. No doubt it was one of the more memorable moments of the tour. Photo by participant Henry Feilen.

Likely there were several hungry owlets nearby pushing this adult Western Screech-Owl to hunt before sunset. Photo by guide Eric Hynes.

Williamson's Sapsucker was a runner-up for Bird of the Tour and this outstanding view of a male surely influenced that vote. Photo by participant Jeff Wahl.

Idaho is a stronghold for Prairie Falcons. The hunting adult with the partially formed twister in the background was an unforgettable experience. You know that Mourning Dove and that European Starling aren't going to forget it. Photo by guide Eric Hynes.

Participant Henry Feilen captured this calling Sandhill Crane marvelously.

It was so much fun to study Eared Grebes up close at Camas National Wildlife Refuge. Check out those intense, ruby red eyes! Photo by participant Jeff Wahl.

Participant Mary Lou Barritt snapped this shot at the precise moment, capturing the white eyelid as this American Dipper blinked.

This adorable, wobbly legged Pronghorn accompanying its mother could not have been more than a few days old, maybe only hours old. Photo by participant Henry Feilen.

Check out the "white over black, white over black" band on the left leg. This male Cassia Crossbill was first captured by researchers on May 31 in 2018 as a second year bird (hatched in 2017). Photo by guide Eric Hynes.

This male Yellow-headed Blackbird was one of many lining the roadside ditches at Camas National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by guide Eric Hynes.

There is blue and then there is a male Mountain Bluebird. This gorgeous guy was particularly obliging as we headed west from Stanley. Photo by participant Mary Lou Barritt.

Great Horned Owls seem to do really well in Idaho. We saw nests with owlets on a number of days of the tour. Photo by guide Eric Hynes.

This particularly blonde North American Porcupine is one of the continent's most bizarre creatures. This indivdual was comfortable enough up in its roost to let us see its eyes. Photo by guide Eric Hynes.

We were all smiles at the end of our adventure. Photo by participant Sid Barritt.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

The Field Guides tradition of sharing your three favorite species of the tour is always an interesting exercise. The fact that 17 different species received votes speaks to the diversity of experiences we enjoyed. There was no runaway winner but Ferruginous Hawk took top honors. The majestic adult teed up was quite a sight in the scope. Other species receiving multiple votes included: Cassia Crossbill, Mountain Bluebird, Dusky Grouse, Williamson's Sapsucker and MacGillivray's Warbler. Lewis's Woodpecker, Wilson's Snipe, Calliope Hummingbird, and Prairie Falcon were nominated by at least two of you.

Totals for the tour: 177 bird taxa and 19 mammal taxa