This is the latest RBA I have received for South Idaho from BirdWest.
An update was sent on Nov. 5 reporting a Blue Jay in the Island Park area of
Idaho.


South Idaho Bird Allert
November 4, 1998

This is the South Idaho Bird Alert, brought to you by the Idaho Museum
of Natural History. This alert was updated on Wednesday, November 4th.
Highlights for this week include a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, a SWAMP SPARROW,
and 2 GREAT TAILED GRACKLES below American Falls Dam, and over 30 COMMON
LOONS and one PACIFIC LOON feeding on the reservoir between the dam and
Seagull Bay Marina.
Today there was a female-plumaged WHITE-WINGED SCOTER on the Snake River
downstream from the American Falls cemetery, which is off of McKinley Road
on the west side of town. To get there take Falls Avenue at the Circle-K
store and turn left onto McKinley. Drive about a quarter mile to the
cemetery entrance. You can also go to the waste transfer station about a
quarter mile west of the cemetery and look upstream from the bluffs. Today
there were about 30 BARROW'S GOLDENEYES, feeding on the Snake River. Two
male GREAT-TAILED GRACKLES have been present near the boat dock on the south
side of the Snake River, just below the dam. To get there stay on Falls
Avenue, and follow the Sportsman's Access signs down to the parking lot.
A winter-plumage SWAMP SPARROW was spotted Saturday at the Fish and Game
Trout Farm across the river from American Falls. It was in some brush and
cattails by the effluent of the spring, about 100 yards from where it
empties into the Snake River. To get there cross the dam, take the first
left, and then left again and follow the Sportsman's Access signs either to
the trout farm, or take a right to another signed access near the effluent.
If you take this route, park at the end of the road, cross the spring at the
last dam, and look in the brush along the south shore of the spring. If you
drive into the trout farm, park by the dumpster at the entrance, then walk
down the road across the spring. Follow the south bank, down past the second
small dam to where the spring gets narrow again. A young NORTHERN SHRIKE was
hunting in the area this morning.
At least 30 COMMON LOONS were counted on Monday between the dam and
Seagull Bay along the south side of American Falls Reservoir, including one
PACIFIC LOON. To get there take Marina Drive off the Bypass on the east side
of town, and either go straight out to the marina, or turn left just after
crossing the railroad tracks and proceed out to the edge of the lake. There
are both HORNED and EARED GREBES on the reservoir out from Willow Bay also.
For further information, to report a bird sighting, or to reach Chuck
Trost, you can call 208-236-3337 and leave a message at the sound of the
beep. Or you can call Chuck at home at 208-233-4538.

Deborah K. Beutler
Dept. Zoology
Washington State University
Pullman, Whitman Co., WA

dbeutler at wsunix.wsu.edu