Bringing our post up to date...

June 15 - K&M - South Fork of the Boise River

1. Rouffed Grouse - Not very bright. =) Ran over him w/ the truck and trailer and fishing boat.  He didn’t move.  Came out fine on the back side... crazy.
2. Wild Turkey - Mark had spot on his bike shuttle - Kim didn’t see it, but seen previously, so counted.
3. Western Tanager -  Mark had spot on his bike - Kim didn’t see it, but seen previously, so counted.
1. Repeat Sights



Lewis's Woodpecker

1. Lewis’s Woodpecker
2. Yellow Warbler??
3. Eastern Kingbird
4. Merganser and babies
5. American Goldfinch
6. Turkey Vulture
7. common night hawk
8. Kestral
9. Raven
10. Crow
11. Hummingbird
12. Starling

June 13 - K - downtown Boise

4. Peregrine Falcon - Saw both male and female on the ledge to the box... had been watching them live with the three chicks on the camera. The Live Cam for Peregrine Falcons

Saw still’s nesting, and killdeer nesting in MW Park
June 6 - K&J Meg and Callay out for saturday walk - MW park

5. Common Nighthawk - very strange to see.  Certain it is what we saw but couldn’t get a picture.  Camera wouldn’t focus.  Pointed wings, smaller hawk size.  Very clear white wing bars looking like eyes on the underside of wings.  Saw it during the day... felt weird declaring it, but I’m sure.

June 6 - K&J after haircut - MW park

6. Virginia Rail  - pretty excited about this spot... We’ve been hearing him out there.  Finally got a quick sighting as he hoped over the reeds.  Huge high-fives! Now I need a picture.
7. Marsh Wren - two playing in reeds, disappeared into the lower reeds before I got a pic. (got picture 6/13/12 w/ J)

May 30 - K - Calistoga CA (got two geocaches also, outside of Solage Spa, many other birds but didn’t have camera and couldn’t figure them out.)

8. Northern Mockingbird - hanging out in bush and on a smaller tree, back and forth between winery vines and tree and fence post.
9. Cliff Swallow- nesting at cooking school.  (good picture June 10, 12)

May 28 - K&J MW Park (went to look for Sora and Rail - found Sora)

10. Sora - Yippee - pic of his bottom, smaller than we thought.  super cute.  He talked to us for a little bit.
11. Solitary Sandpiper - have seen before but not counted as not sure what it was
12. Spotted Sandpiper - have seen before but not counted as not sure what it was.  Today, got a great picture in flight have no doubt.  Spotted.  White wing bars.

Repeat Spots

1. black-necked stilts - great spots, hanging out in the open.  Saw one nesting
2. Female yellow-headed blackbird - first time to notice her.
3. Red Tailed hawk - dark morph - good pic
4. Mallard babies and mommy - super cute
5. Baby geese
6. barn swallow - swooping low
7. Flicker hanging out on the ground... seeing lots of these now.

May 27 - MK&jd, callay -  Walk up behind the house

13. Loggerhead Shrike  (not sure... looking at beak?  - Pretty cool - couldn’t figure out what he was.  Bigger like a robin and stout.  Hanging out on a wire.  Very pretty, longer tail.

May 20 - K&J Bird spotting w/ the Fabulous Ms. Fitz and Grandma Marcia to Monture and back -
42 for the day

14. Western Kingbird - fence line with J on the way to get ms. Fitz, then many more....
15. Meadow Lark - picture
16. Yellow throated Warber - lots of crazy flying in the reeds, couldn’t get picture.
17. Yellow Warber - got picture... very pretty.
18. Northern Shovler - excited for this spot - wish we could have seen them closer.
19. Tree Swallow - good picture June 10
20. Chickadee
1. First count in Boise
1. Commorant
2. Repeat Spots
1. Black Chinned Humming Bird
2. Mourning Dove
3. Starling
4. Mallards
5. Barn Swallow
6. Great Blue Heron
7. Kestrel
8. Robin
9. Song Sparrow
10. Magpie
11. Red Winged Blackbird
12. Quail
13. Red-tailed Hawk
14. Lazuli Bunting
15. Rock Dove
16. Belted Kingfisher
17. Cinnamon Teal
18. Flicker
19. Killdeer
20. Blackheaded grosbeak
21. Osprey
22. Coot
23. Woodduck
24. Turkey Vulture
25. Crow
26. Great Blue Heron
27. House Finch
28. Brewers Blackbird
29. Canada Goose
30. Swan
31. Swainson’s Hawk
32. Bullock’s Oriole
33. House Sparrow
34. Brown-headed Cowbird
35. Lesser goldfinch
3. Didn’t really see - but heard
1. Marsh Wren
2. Rail
3. English Sparrow
4. huge bullfrog

May 19 - Lake Hazel area -

21. Ring-necked Pheasant - playing in the field.  Saw him on the road first.
22. Eastern Kingbird - power line. several of them spaced out. Dark tail, no white band.
1. First Seen in Boise
1. Barn Swallow

May 18 - Amity Road -

23. Osprey - Dining on something yummy on a powerpole.
24. Brown-headed Cowbird - backyard feeder

May 14 - HR backyard feeder -

25. Bullock’s Oriole - A pair Male on feeder and female on chain outside my house.  I noticed the female first and realized she was different, more delicate and yellow w/ black.  He had more bright yellow and orange to red... had just been looking at grosbeak so also noticed that he looked different.  Picture pretty blurry, but color vivid.  AWESOME pic of chick (5-19-12)

May 13 - HR back yard feeder - HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

26. Black-headed Grosbeak - Two Males on our feeder.  Thistle and Song Bird feed.  Put the oranges out - not much action.  Female Monday Morning.
27. Lazuli Bunting - One pair - she is definitely different, delicate and beautiful on feeder, he was jumpy.  Great pic on the fireplace ledge.
28. Black-chinned Hummingbird - female did a quick flyby our blue seed feeder.  we didn’t have the hum feeders out yet though they were sitting on the counter.  They are out now.  (first ever spot of a black-chinned)  Little black, white, grey speckled - not very colorful.  Jordan noticed it first.  Good spotter she is. =)  

May 8 - HR spring creek

29. Common Raven - gave us the deep dark call as it flew over us on our bike to school. Flew over us on our bike to school.  (saw him again May 14.  very big, cruisin the neighborhood)

May 7 - HR spring creek

30. Swainson’s Hawk - great picture, circling low over us.
31. Say’s Phoebe - great picture, nesting at the neighbor house over the door.  Very busy collecting bugs, not very shy.  Took lots of pictures.  Our’s don’t look as grey.
32. Swan - behind the Riverstone school.

May 6 - On our bird feeder and then out in the trees

33. Lewis’s Woodpecker - very pretty was at our bird feeder.  very silly.  Jordan and I went out and tracked him down for a great picture.

May 1 - Bike ride home from school - happy May Day

34. Coopers Hawk - Hanging out in a tree, eating something big.

April 29 - HR new bike path MKj&d out for about 1 hour

35. Black-necked Stilt - black and white bird, black beak! (J got spot!) mkjd
36. American Coot - black/grey duck, white patch at base of tail, white bill. (J got spot!) mkjd
37. Yellow-rumped Warbler - playing in the tree, lots of patches of yellow, white, black.
38. Ruby-crowned Kinglet - playing in the tree, very cute, very plain, didn’t see the red spot, but have seen it before.
39. Wood Duck - First official picture spot
1. Repeat spottings
1. Great Blue Heron
2. Red-winged Blackbird
3. Yellow headed Bb
4. Starling
5. Kingfisher - cool pic!
6. Killdeer
7. mallard
8. Gadwall
9. Song sparrow
10. Advocet
11. Yellowlegs
12. Hawk
13. swallow
14. Flicker

April 27 - HR

40. Brewer’s Blackbird - blackbird, black beak!

April 14 - 15 - Barber Park k

41. American Pipit - cute small, quiet... poking around, wouldn’t have noticed except I stood still and looked around w/ the glasses.  Great pic.  One by itself and then saw it with a second one.
42. Cinnamon Teal
43. American Avocet - (seriously cool!) Really pretty - a pair of them.   Beautiful colors and then flew, even more pretty.
44. Greater Yellowlegs - flew in... upturned bill threw me off, two of them, pic
45. Lesser Yellowlegs - Was watching and the other flew in... upturned bill threw me off, was confusing but after watching the three and studying the pictures and talking to others... declaring both. (6-7-12)
46. Swallow Violet-green - (Violet-green)  have pic!
1. Not sure for sure so not counting
1. Sandpiper - (spotted?)  - smaller than killdeer, nice pic.  Hanging out by itself, poking around in the water and mud.  Kept hearing this peep sound as I was watching the Avocet. Sanpiper
2. Repeat spottings
1. Great Blue Heron
2. Red-winged Blackbird
3. Yellow headed Bb
4. Starling
5. Killdeer
6. mallard
7. Gadwall
8. Song sparrow

April 15 - Barber Park jdK

47. Yellow-headed Blackbird - bigger than I thought.  RIS 2nd grade reported it being out there. pic
48. Hairy Woodpecker - first time for D&K... we declare Hairy not Downy - longer thin beak, Nice Pic
49. Common Merganser (first time for the kids)
1. Couldn’t name fully
1. Swallow - not sure what kind
2. Hawk - will find out name - Think Red-tailed.
2. Repeat spottings
1. Kestrel - GREAT PIC!
2. Red-winged Blackbird
3. Belted Kingfisher
4. Starling
5. Great Blue Heron
6. Mallard and Mrs.
7. Canada Goose
8. California Quail
9. American Robin
10. Black-billed Magpie
11. Northern Flicker - great pic.  saw on the ground and two in the air and on the tree.

April 9- now 2012 - our backyard

50. American Goldfinch -
51. Sharp-shinned (maybe coopers hawk, but seemed smaller) swooped to try to grab birds at the bird feeder.   nice pic (4-9-12)
52. White-crowned Sparrow - little sparrow, playing on the ground, under the bird feeder w/ quail.  Very brightly colored white and black striped head, yellow beak. (4-15-12)
53. House Finch
54. House Sparrow
55. Lesser Goldfinch - everyone has molted now... green back, yellow belly (4-30-12)

April 9- bird of prey

56. Chukar (counted in Jordan) - playing out on the walkway

April 5, 2012

57. Cedar Waxwing - sitting in a tree eating berries.  Very pretty, super quiet, about a dozen

April 2, 2012

58. Red-tailed Hawk - Parking lot at school (HR)
59. Gadwall -  HR pond - brown, darker bill, green on wing

Bird Break - Spring Break - March 15 - April 2, 2012

23 in Boise, 6 in Jordan, 41 in Egypt, 1 in Paris = 71

Boise, ID March 15, D & K

1. California Quail - backyard
2. Red-winged Blackbird - Harris Ranch (HR)
3. American Robin - HR
4. American Kestrel (2 together) - Amity Road
5. Black-billed Magpie - (lots) - Amity Road

Boise, ID, March 16,  D,M,K

6.  Rock Dove - St. Joes
7.  Turkey Vulture - “kettle” over Botanical Garden
8.  Canada Geese - everywhere

Boise, ID, March 17, D,M,K

9. Black-capped Chickadee - backyard
10. European Starling - backyard
11. American Crow - HR
12. California Gull - Franklin Blvd.
13. Northern Flicker- on riverbank, parkcenter blvd & beacon end of bridge. (Derek & I thought it was a Virginia Rail... we’ve taken that back.) Edit 5-24-12
14. Mallard and Mrs. - HR pond
15. Ringed-Neck Duck - (cool black head, white belly) - HR pond
16. Domestic (White) Duck - hanging with the Mallards on the HR pond
1. Egyptian counting - House Sparrow

Boise, ID, April 2

17. Great Horned Owl - out back last night
18. House Finch - pretty w/ red
19. Belted Kingfisher - yippee, Jordan had great spot
20. Great Blue Heron - flying and stocking at the pond
21. Killdeer - 3 tussling by the HR pond
22. American Goldfinch - Light yellow getting paler all the way down, w/ House Finch  (or maybe American - decided probably american - it was moulting)
23. Song Sparrow (edit 4-13-12) (I thought it was a Northern Waterthrush) - down by the river - picture

Gadwall-  HR pond - brown, darker bill, Green on wing. - We didn’t count it because I can’t figure out name??? (confirmed name April 3)

Paris - We had a couple free hours on a 24 hour layover,        
March 29-30, 2012

1. Common Wood Pigeon

Repeat sighting
a.  Moorhen
b.  European Spotted Starling
c.  Rock Dove (beautiful, lots with pink necks)
d.  Magpie (speaking french perfectly!)

Egypt Spots March 2012

Egypt Spots
First Day – Mena House Garden

1. Laughing Dove - shorter tail, tawny red, really pretty, really common
2. White Wagtail - little black and white, on ground, long tail, hoppy and fun
3. House Sparrow
4. Eurasian Hoopoe - totally casual hanging out in the grass... great fun to watch, saw two later in the day and then again got to show Jordan one outside the Giza Zoo, as she had missed the original sighting in Cairo.
5. Rock Dove - pigeon, beautiful green and pink necks
6. Turtle Dove - Dove, longer tail, not as common to see on the ground, but lots in the air
7. Common Bulbul - playing in the bushes
8. Hooded Crow - was surprised to see this one... didn’t realize there was a grey and black crow.  Saw them everywhere after the initial spot.
9. Kestrel Hawk - of some sort sitting on our porch, it was two feet from us when we saw it! and then it flew. =( couldn’t confirm... Kestrel,  lesser Kestrel, Eurasian Sparrow Hawk

Second Day - Cairo tour

10. Cattle Egret - Yellow head and bill, in water and in fields
11. Pied Kingfisher - after the first spot on a irrigation canal, we saw a bunch playing on the nile river.  Very common spot and fun bird to watch.
12. Barn Swallow - cool cause it reminds me of my grandpa, love the blue and yellow colors, very common out by the temples and tombs.  Haven’t seen it since I was little.

Abu Simbel

13. Common Buzzard (buteo buteo) barred tail and wings w/ dark
14. Sand Martin - Little bat like, white body, light wings, band across neck
15. White-crowned Black Wheatear - on fence
16. Clamorous Reed Warbler – little green, dainty
17. Graceful Prinia - little greyish, cool tail, hopping
18. Moorhen – Looks black but, super cool purple w/ red beak ending in yellow, red feet. GMarcia spot

             Repeat sighting: Barn Swallow, House Sparrow
Nile River Cruise
The gulls, terns and herons were difficult to distinguish the differences... had to double and triple check with the books and pictures and habits and habitats.  

19. Common Black-Headed Gull -  black beak, red feet and head,
20. Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nitotica) - black half head, black feet and bill
21. Grey Heron
22. Little Egret (black leg, black bill, tuft, yellow feet)
23. Eurasian Spoonbill (Super cool - flew over in a “V” flock in the setting sun, beautiful w/ black underwing stripe, and crazy shaped bill)
24. Pintail – black and white on neck
25. Shoveler – Amazing coloring
26. Western Reef Heron – Crazy chasing of fish (don’t sit still like normal Heron), yellow beak, black feet
27. Glossy Ibis - Flying overhead, long straight neck, curved beak, saw singles a couple    times.
28. Little Green Bee-Eater - very clear on a wire near temple, J had confirmation!  then saw twice again, beautiful green, couldn’t get picture, was thrilled for spot.
29. Rock Martin? little bat looking martin, totally pale, hanging in the desert.  Called Eurasian Crag & Martin (ptymoprogne rupestris), African Rock Martin (Pale Crag Martin)  Ptyonoporgne obsoleta,

Repeat sighting: Moorhen, Pied Kingfisher, Cattle Egret

Not confirmed: Duck/Goose with crazy coloring, red eye, thinking Egyptian Goose

Valley of the Queens

30. Brown-necked Raven - Was great to see a “regular raven” after all the grey and black ones..
31. Trumpeter Finch - grey w/ orange/yellow beak and feet, sitting on rail
32. Pallid Swift - little bat like, dark body, light wings
33. Nile Valley Sunbird - seriously cool long split tail, flitting around the flowers and the trees, great watching, when I first saw it it was drinking from a flower couldn’t get camera out fast enough before someone walked by and scared it.

Nile Cruise

34. Great Cormorant - cool white and black almost looks like a penguin.
35. Black Kite - this guy tortured me... saw it many times. Every time I would get the camera out it would disappear.  Or i would have the camera and it couldn’t focus or was stuck or out of batteries.  Finally got a picture on the last day.
36. Purple Swamphen (Allen’s Purple Gallinule) Name is confusing... but I can confirm the bird.  Cool purple with red feet and beak.

Luxor Temple Tours

37. Variant White Pigeon - Rock Dove (also seen later in trip)
1. Not confirmed:  Painted Snipe and other little grey/olive bird w/ red beak

Luxor Felucca

38. Spur-winged Lapwing (plover) saw earlier in trip also but couldn’t get pic the first time.
39. Purple Heron - great score
40. Black-winged Stilt - hiding in back of picture
41. Squacco Heron - shorter tan, crazy plumage, totally still!

Repeat sights:  Cattle Egret, Little Egret, many Pied Kingfishers were buzzing us.

Egypt notes - struggling with real name of some, written differently in three guides.  SOOOO excited to see such amazing exotic birds.  We’re changed!