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2005 Bonner County Big Year

2006 BONNER COUNTY BIRDING BIG YEAR

Compiled by Lisa Hardy

Bonner County in Idaho's Panhandle hosts a wide range of habitats, from alpine landscapes above 6000' in the Selkirks and Cabinets, to Idaho's deepest lake, Pend Oreille. With no regular reporters from the county, a respectable 175 species were noted for the 2005 Big Year. Bonner County has the potential to turn up a similar number of species (~200) as its neighbor to the south, Kootenai County, if it were as heavily birded. Sandpoint, on Lake Pend Oreille's northwest shore, has hosted a disproportionate number of state rarities, in part due to location, but also due to the skills of expert birder Earl Chapin. Robert Bond, expert birder and summer resident at Priest Lake, has also added several rare species to the list.

If you visit Bonner County this year, check the list below and see if you can add to it, or beat any already posted dates. Send your reports to Lisa Hardy 682-4808 or basalt@earthlink.net.

BONNER COUNTY BIRD LIST

Compiled by Shirley Sturts

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common = 106

Uncommon = 39

scarce = 47

rare = 40

accidental = 33

Bonner County Total (seen since 1950) = 265

Historical record only ( h ) (pre-1950) = 3

OCCURANCE CATEGORIES

( c ) COMMON: Found every year, often seasonal, in many areas, in high to moderate numbers and some searching in appropriate areas may be required.

( u ) UNCOMMON: Found every year, often seasonal, in limited areas, in small numbers, and may require repeated search attempts in more specific areas.

( s ) SCARCE: Found most years, but difficult. Either very specialized and local in distribution; difficult to distinguish from similar, more common species; or only passes through briefly on migration.

( r ) RARE: Not seen every year, mostly irregular, some periodic.

( # ) ACCIDENTAL: Just a few total sightings with a low expectation of being found in the future.

Total Seen = 160 as of November 1

Species	Date	Location	Observer
SWAN, GEESE, DUCKS
Greater White-Fronted Goose ( r )
Snow goose ( s )
Ross's Goose ( r )	5/1	Pend Oreille Lake - Hwy 200	Earl Chapin
Brant ( # )
Canada Goose ( c )	1/22	Sandpoint	Lisa Provolt
Trumpeter Swan ( s )
Tundra Swan ( c )	3/5	Pack River delta	Mike Haldeman
Wood Duck ( c )	2/20	Sandpoint area	Terry & Christine Gray
Gadwall ( c )	2/19	Sandpoint area	Coeur d'Alene Audubon field trip, Dick Cripe leader
Eurasian Wigeon ( s )	10/24	Morton Slough	Terry Gray
American Wigeon ( c )	1/29	Sandpoint area	Terry & Christine Gray
Mallard ( c )	1/22	Sandpoint	Lisa Provolt
Blue-winged Teal ( u )	5/11	Coolin area	Robert Bond
Cinnamon Teal ( c )
Northern Shoveler ( c )	4/9	Sandpoint area	Terry & Christine Gray
Northern Pintail ( c )	3/5	Pend Oreille Lake	Mike Haldeman
Green-winged Teal ( c )	4/20	Coolin area	Robert Bond
Common Teal (Eurasian race of the Green-winged teal (#)
Canvasback ( u )	4/9	Sandpoint area	Terry & Christine Gray
Redhead ( c )	1/29	Sandpoint area	Terry & Christine Gray
Ring-necked Duck ( c )	2/19	Sandpoint area	Coeur d'Alene Audubon field trip, Dick Cripe leader
Greater Scaup ( s )	10/21	Sandpoint City Beach	Mike Haldeman
Lesser Scaup ( u )	2/19	Sandpoint area	Coeur d'Alene Audubon field trip, Dick Cripe leader
Harlequin Duck ( r )
Surf Scoter ( r )
White-winged Scoter ( r )	10/30	Coolin area	Robert Bond
Black Scoter ( # )
Long-tailed Duck ( r )
Bufflehead ( c )	1/29	Sandpoint area	Terry & Christine Gray
Common Goldeneye ( c )	1/19	Sandpoint	Lisa Provolt
Barrow's Goldeneye ( s )	10/30	Coolin area	Robert Bond
Hooded Merganser ( c )	1/22	Sandpoint	Lisa Provolt
Common Merganser ( c )	1/29	Sandpoint area	Terry & Christine Gray
Red-breasted Merganser ( r )	1/29	Sandpoint area	Terry & Christine Gray
Ruddy Duck ( u )	9/16	Clark Fk drift yard	Mike Haldeman
PARTRIDGES, GROUSE, TURKEY
Ring-necked Pheasant ( r )	5/4	Selle Road	Lisa Provolt
Ruffed Grouse ( c )	2/1	Round Lake area	Lisa Provolt
Spruce Grouse ( s )	10/15	Bath Creek	Paul Seiracki
White-tailed Ptarmigan ( r )
Dusky Grouse ( s )	7/31	Scotchman Peak	Mike Haldeman
Wild Turkey ( c )	1/5	Spirit Lake CBC	Shirley Sturts, Theresa Potts
NEW WORLD QUAIL
California Quail ( c )	3/7	Round Lake area	Lisa Provolt
LOONS
Red-Throated Loon ( # )
Pacific Loon ( s )	3/5	Pend Oreille Lake	Mike Haldeman
Common Loon ( c )	3/5	Pend Oreille Lake	Mike Haldeman
Yellow-billed Loon ( # )
GREBES
Pied-billed Grebe ( c )	2/19	Sandpoint area	Coeur d'Alene Audubon field trip, Dick Cripe leader
Horned Grebe ( c )	2/19	Sandpoint area	Coeur d'Alene Audubon field trip, Dick Cripe leader
Red-necked Grebe ( c )	1/29	Sandpoint area	Terry & Christine Gray
Eared Grebe ( r )
Western Grebe ( c )	9/16	Oden Bay	Mike Haldeman
Clark's Grebe ( r )
PELICANS
American White Pelican ( s )
Double-crested Cormorant( u )	1/29	Sandpoint area	Terry & Christine Gray
HERONS, BITTERNS
American Bittern ( r )
Great Blue Heron ( c )	3/5	Pend Oreille Lake	Mike Haldeman
Great Egret ( r )
Cattle Egret ( # )
Black-crowned Night-Heron (r)
IBISES
White-faced Ibis ( h -1909 )
NEW WORLD VULTURES
Turkey Vulture ( u )	4/18	Round Lake area	Lisa Provolt
HAWKS, KITES, EAGLES
Osprey ( c )	4/24	Coolin area	Robert Bond
Bald Eagle ( c )	1/16	Blanchard	Charles Swift
Northern Harrier ( c )	4/20	Coolin area	Robert Bond
Sharp-shinned Hawk ( u )	5/12	Coolin area	Robert Bond
Cooper's Hawk ( u )	9/16	Johnson Creek	Mike Haldeman
Northern Goshawk ( s )
Swainson's Hawk ( s )
Red-tailed Hawk ( c )	1/5	Spirit Lake CBC	Shirley Sturts, Theresa Potts
----Harlan's Hawk ( s )	1/29	Sandpoint area	Terry & Christine Gray
Rough-legged Hawk ( c )	10/22	Cocolalla	Terry Gray
Golden Eagle ( r )	10/22	Cocolalla	Terry Gray
FALCONS