Latah Co. Long-billed Curlew, etc. 4/3/2010

This afternoon I found a Long-billed Curlew out along Little Bear Ridge Rd. southeast of Troy (which is east of Moscow). It was in a seasonally wet field depression just before the farm at 1550 Little Bear Ridge which is about 6.5 miles from Troy and .5 mile north of the cemetery. It was foraging at the back of the wet area in a fairly tall grass and I watched it eat several large earthworms. At times it was hard to see in the grass especially while resting. 

This is a species that I had wondered about occurring in Latah Co. (probably nested formerly) but wasn't really on my radar until several were seen around this time last year (just north of Moscow and near Genesee). I presume these are migrants heading northeast to w. MT or Alberta from the west coast. It was kind of a fluke that I was out birding this afternoon, I had a small person (my daughter) who would not settle down for a nap at home so I was forced to take her for a drive and do some birding! 

I've attached an out of focus digiscoped image of the curlew.

At the bottom of Little Bear Ridge Rd. at the confluence of Little and Big Bear Rd. near Kendrick there was a nice collection of birds that had either retreated or were just backed up down at lower elevations w/ the unsettled weather up higher (low 40's and very windy up on the Palouse; Kendrick at ~1200 ft. lower was calm and about 49 F). I've seen this happen at this locale several times in the past couple of years. This group included ~50 Mountain Bluebirds, ~20 Western Bluebirds, a couple each Townsend's Solitaires and Say's Phoebes, and a Spotted Towhee. The bluebirds (especially Mountains) were very flighty. There was also a nice flock of Lesser Goldfinches here (20+) and a bunch of Violet-green Swallows (50+). 

Elsewhere I found a couple Ruddy Ducks at a pond near the curlew spot, and a number of Turkey Vultures both east and west of Troy. All told I picked up 4 year birds and the LB Curlew is a new county bird. A nice few hours out in the field on this chilly Easter weekend!

These pictures were sent with Picasa, from Google.
Try it out here: http://picasa.google.com/

--
Charles Swift
Moscow, ID
chaetura@gmail.com

South Carolina trip list

Final species list for my South Carolina trip (12/29/09 - 1/6/10) showing date and location of first sighting of each. Total species seen 95. Data from ebird.

  
   
Species
   
Count
   
Location
  
  
   
Canada Goose
   
5
   
Mt. Pleasant -- Brickyard Plantation
  
  
   
Wood Duck
   
2
   
Palmetto Island County Park
  
  
   
Mallard
   
25
   
Mt. Pleasant -- Brickyard Plantation
  
  
   
Green-winged Teal
   
5
   
Huntington Beach SP
  
  
   
Redhead
   
6
   
Huntington Beach SP
  
  
   
Bufflehead
   
1
   
Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park
  
  
   
Hooded Merganser
   
1
   
Mt. Pleasant -- Brickyard Plantation
  
  
   
Red-breasted Merganser
   
3
   
Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park
  
  
   
Ruddy Duck
   
50
   
Huntington Beach SP
  
  
   
Red-throated Loon
   
15
   
Atlantic Beach -- south end
  
  
   
Common Loon
   
2
   
Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park
  
  
   
Pied-billed Grebe
   
1
   
Mount Pleasant
  
  
   
Horned Grebe
   
2
   
Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park
  
  
   
Northern Gannet
   
3
   
Atlantic Beach -- south end
  
  
   
Brown Pelican
   

   
Mount Pleasant
  
  
   
Double-crested Cormorant
   
15
   
Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park
  
  
   
Anhinga
   
1
   
Mt. Pleasant -- Brickyard Plantation
  
  
   
Great Blue Heron
   
1
   
Isle of Palms - Breach Inlet
  
  
   
Great Egret
   
1
   
Mt. Pleasant -- Brickyard Plantation
  
  
   
Snowy Egret
   
3
   
Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park
  
  
   
Little Blue Heron
   
1
   
Mt. Pleasant -- Brickyard Plantation
  
  
   
Tricolored Heron
   
3
   
Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park
  
  
   
White Ibis
   
1
   
Mt. Pleasant -- Brickyard Plantation
  
  
   
Black Vulture
   

   
Mount Pleasant
  
  
   
Turkey Vulture
   

   
Mount Pleasant
  
  
   
Osprey
   
1
   
Palmetto Island County Park
  
  
   
Bald Eagle
   
1
   
Mt. Pleasant -- Brickyard Plantation
  
  
   
Northern Harrier
   
1
   
Huntington Beach SP
  
  
   
Red-shouldered Hawk
   
1
   
Mt. Pleasant -- Brickyard Plantation
  
  
   
Red-tailed Hawk
   

   
Mount Pleasant
  
  
   
American Kestrel
   
1
   
Myrtle Beach
  
  
   
Clapper Rail
   
2
   
Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park
  
  
   
Common Moorhen
   
2
   
Atlantic Beach -- Marsh Oaks area
  
  
   
American Coot
   
2
   
Myrtle Beach
  
  
   
Black-bellied Plover
   
1
   
Pitt Street Causeway
  
  
   
Semipalmated Plover
   
50
   
Pitt Street Causeway
  
  
   
Killdeer
   
1
   
Mt. Pleasant -- Brickyard Plantation
  
  
   
American Oystercatcher
   
2
   
Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park
  
  
   
Spotted Sandpiper
   
1
   
Palmetto Island County Park
  
  
   
Greater Yellowlegs
   
3
   
Atlantic Beach -- Marsh Oaks area
  
  
   
Willet
   
30
   
Isle of Palms - Breach Inlet
  
  
   
Lesser Yellowlegs
   
1
   
Atlantic Beach -- Marsh Oaks area
  
  
   
Marbled Godwit
   
5
   
Pitt Street Causeway
  
  
   
Ruddy Turnstone
   
3
   
Isle of Palms - Breach Inlet
  
  
   
Sanderling
   
20
   
Isle of Palms County Park & Beach
  
  
   
Western Sandpiper
   
20
   
Pitt Street Causeway
  
  
   
Dunlin
   
5
   
Pitt Street Causeway
  
  
   
Short-billed Dowitcher
   
1
   
Pitt Street Causeway
  
  
   
Wilson's Snipe
   
1
   
Atlantic Beach -- Marsh Oaks area
  
  
   
Bonaparte's Gull
   
6
   
Huntington Beach SP
  
  
   
Laughing Gull
   
2
   
Patriot's Point
  
  
   
Ring-billed Gull
   
130
   
Isle of Palms County Park & Beach
  
  
   
Herring Gull
   
1
   
Isle of Palms County Park & Beach
  
  
   
Forster's Tern
   
1
   
Isle of Palms County Park & Beach
  
  
   
Royal Tern
   
1
   
Isle of Palms County Park & Beach
  
  
   
Black Skimmer
   
7
   
Isle of Palms - Breach Inlet
  
  
   
Rock Pigeon
   
20
   
Isle of Palms County Park & Beach
  
  
   
Eurasian Collared-Dove
   

   
Mount Pleasant
  
  
   
Mourning Dove
   
1
   
Isle of Palms County Park & Beach
  
  
   
Belted Kingfisher
   
1
   
Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park
  
  
   
Red-bellied Woodpecker
   
2
   
Mt. Pleasant -- Brickyard Plantation
  
  
   
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
   
1
   
Mt. Pleasant -- Brickyard Plantation
  
  
   
Downy Woodpecker
   
4
   
Mt. Pleasant -- Brickyard Plantation
  
  
   
Northern Flicker
   
2
   
Mt. Pleasant -- Brickyard Plantation
  
  
   
Pileated Woodpecker
   
2
   
Mt. Pleasant -- Brickyard Plantation
  
  
   
Eastern Phoebe
   
1
   
Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park
  
  
   
Loggerhead Shrike
   
1
   
Isle of Palms County Park & Beach
  
  
   
Blue-headed Vireo
   
1
   
Palmetto Island County Park
  
  
   
Blue Jay
   
7
   
Mt. Pleasant -- Brickyard Plantation
  
  
   
American Crow
   

   
Mount Pleasant
  
  
   
Tree Swallow
   

   
Myrtle Beach
  
  
   
Carolina Chickadee
   
8
   
Mt. Pleasant -- Brickyard Plantation
  
  
   
Tufted Titmouse
   
2
   
Mt. Pleasant -- Brickyard Plantation
  
  
   
Brown-headed Nuthatch
   
1
   
Palmetto Island County Park
  
  
   
Carolina Wren
   
4
   
Mt. Pleasant -- Brickyard Plantation
  
  
   
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
   
5
   
Mt. Pleasant -- Brickyard Plantation
  
  
   
Eastern Bluebird
   
5
   
Mt. Pleasant -- Brickyard Plantation
  
  
   
Northern Mockingbird
   

   
Mount Pleasant
  
  
   
European Starling
   
50
   
Patriot's Point
  
  
   
Cedar Waxwing
   

   
Mount Pleasant
  
  
   
Yellow-rumped Warbler
   
1
   
Isle of Palms County Park & Beach
  
  
   
Pine Warbler
   
1
   
Palmetto Island County Park
  
  
   
Palm Warbler
   
1
   
Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park
  
  
   
Eastern Towhee
   

   
Mount Pleasant
  
  
   
Chipping Sparrow
   
6
   
Mt. Pleasant -- Brickyard Plantation
  
  
   
Song Sparrow
   
1
   
Mt. Pleasant -- Brickyard Plantation
  
  
   
Swamp Sparrow
   
5
   
Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park
  
  
   
White-throated Sparrow
   

   
Mount Pleasant
  
  
   
Dark-eyed Junco
   
6
   
Mt. Pleasant -- Brickyard Plantation
  
  
   
Northern Cardinal
   

   
Mount Pleasant
  
  
   
Red-winged Blackbird
   
10
   
Mt. Pleasant -- Brickyard Plantation
  
  
   
Boat-tailed Grackle
   
100
   
Isle of Palms County Park & Beach
  
  
   
House Finch
   
2
   
Mt. Pleasant -- Brickyard Plantation
  
  
   
American Goldfinch
   
4
   
Mt. Pleasant -- Brickyard Plantation
  
  
   
House Sparrow
   
25
   
N. Myrtle Beach Wal-Mart
  
 

eBird Report - Brickyard Subdivision, Mt. Pleasant, SC

Location:     Brickyard Subdivision

Observation date:     1/1/10

Notes:     New Year's Day walk around my brother Kevin's neighborhood in Mt. Pleasant, SC w/ Kevin & Deb. A nice variety of typical birds on a cool and cloudy afternoon. Loads of Myrtle Warblers are in the area for the winter. With a bit more effort I could have had 40 species. Happy New Year to all!!

Number of species:     37

Canada Goose     5
Mallard     25
Common Loon     1
Pied-billed Grebe     1
Brown Pelican     4
Double-crested Cormorant     3
Anhinga     1
Great Blue Heron     2
Great Egret     3
Little Blue Heron     1
Black Vulture     8
Turkey Vulture     30
Bald Eagle     1
Red-shouldered Hawk     1
Ring-billed Gull     15
Herring Gull     2
Belted Kingfisher     1
Red-bellied Woodpecker     1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker     1
Northern Flicker     2
Pileated Woodpecker     2
Blue Jay     2
American Crow     15
Carolina Chickadee     7
Tufted Titmouse     1
Carolina Wren     2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet     1
Eastern Bluebird     6
Northern Mockingbird     3
Yellow-rumped Warbler     300
Chipping Sparrow     6
White-throated Sparrow     4
Dark-eyed Junco     6
Northern Cardinal     4
Red-winged Blackbird     10
House Finch     6
American Goldfinch     4

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

--
Charles Swift
Moscow, ID
chaetura@gmail.com