Home

2005 Bonner County Big Year

2006 Bonner County Big Year

2007 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

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 155 as of July 4

Species	Date	Location	Observer
SWAN, GEESE, DUCKS
Greater White-Fronted Goose ( r )
Snow goose ( s )
Ross's Goose ( r )
Brant ( # )
Cackling Goose ( s )	10-Mar	Sagle	Earl & Bev Chapin, Carol Cressey
Canada Goose ( c )	1-Jan	Oden Bay	Gina Sheridan, Kim Thorburn
Trumpeter Swan ( s )	4-Mar	Denton Slough	Earl & Bev Chapin
Tundra Swan ( c )	1-Jan	Lake Pend Oreille	Gina Sheridan, Kim Thorburn
Wood Duck ( c )	7-Mar	Dover	Earl & Bev Chapin, Barry Kendall
Gadwall ( c )	1-Jan	Oden Bay	Gina Sheridan, Kim Thorburn
Eurasian Wigeon ( s )	15-Mar	Pack river flats	Earl & Bev Chapin
American Wigeon ( c )	1-Jan	Oden Bay	Gina Sheridan, Kim Thorburn
Mallard ( c )	2-Jan	Sandpoint	Earl & Bev Chapin
Blue-winged Teal ( u )	24-May	Priest River WMA	Paul Sieracki
Cinnamon Teal ( c )
Northern Shoveler ( c )
Northern Pintail ( c )	3-Feb	Pend Oreille River	Terry & Christine Gray
Green-winged Teal ( c )	1-Jan	Oden Bay	Gina Sheridan, Kim Thorburn
Common Teal (Eurasian race of the Green-winged teal (#)
Canvasback ( u )	3-Jan	Bottle Bay	Earl & Bev Chapin
Redhead ( c )	3-Jan	Bottle Bay	Earl & Bev Chapin
Ring-necked Duck ( c )	1-Jan	Oden Bay	Gina Sheridan, Kim Thorburn
Greater Scaup ( s )	1-Jan	Oden Bay	Gina Sheridan, Kim Thorburn
Lesser Scaup ( u )	1-Jan	Oden Bay	Gina Sheridan, Kim Thorburn
Harlequin Duck ( r )
Surf Scoter ( r )
White-winged Scoter ( r )
Black Scoter ( # )
Long-tailed Duck ( r )	18-Mar	Pend Oreille Lake	Earl & Bev Chapin & others
Bufflehead ( c )	2-Jan	Sandpoint	Earl & Bev Chapin
Common Goldeneye ( c )	1-Jan	Sandpoint City Beach	Gina Sheridan, Kim Thorburn
Barrow's Goldeneye ( s )	3-Jan	Garfield Bay	Earl & Bev Chapin
Hooded Merganser ( c )	1-Jan	Sandpoint City Beach	Gina Sheridan, Kim Thorburn
Common Merganser ( c )	1-Jan	Sandpoint City Beach	Gina Sheridan, Kim Thorburn
Red-breasted Merganser ( r )	6-Jan	Sandpoint	Earl & Bev Chapin
Ruddy Duck ( u )
PARTRIDGES, GROUSE, TURKEY
Ring-necked Pheasant ( r )	13-Mar	Hoodoo Valley	Earl & Bev Chapin
Ruffed Grouse ( c )	3-Jan	Bottle Bay	Earl & Bev Chapin
Spruce Grouse ( s )
White-tailed Ptarmigan ( r )
Dusky Grouse ( s )
Wild Turkey ( c )	3-Jan	Bottle Bay	Earl & Bev Chapin
NEW WORLD QUAIL
California Quail ( c )	3-Jan	Gamble Lake	Earl & Bev Chapin
Northern Bobwhite	1-Jul	Priest River	Paul Sieracki
LOONS
Red-Throated Loon ( # )	14-Apr	Lake Pend Oreille	Earl & Bev Chapin
Pacific Loon ( s )	1-Mar	Lake Pend Oreille	Gina Sheridan, Bart Whelton
Common Loon ( c )	1-Jan	Lake Pend Oreille	Gina Sheridan, Kim Thorburn
Yellow-billed Loon ( # )	27-Feb	Lake Pend Oreille	Earl & Bev Chapin
GREBES
Pied-billed Grebe ( c )	4-Jan	Sunnyside	Earl & Bev Chapin
Horned Grebe ( c )	1-Jan	Oden Bay	Gina Sheridan, Kim Thorburn
Red-necked Grebe ( c )	1-Jan	Sandpoint City Beach	Gina Sheridan, Kim Thorburn
Eared Grebe ( r )	11-Jan	Sunnyside	Earl & Bev Chapin
Western Grebe ( c )	1-Jan	Oden Bay	Gina Sheridan, Kim Thorburn
Clark's Grebe ( r )	15-Apr	Lake Pend Oreille	Gina Sheridan, Kim Thorburn
PELICANS
American White Pelican ( s )
Double-crested Cormorant( u )	1-Jan	Oden Bay	Gina Sheridan, Kim Thorburn
HERONS, BITTERNS
American Bittern ( r )
Great Blue Heron ( c )	1-Jan	Oden Bay	Gina Sheridan, Kim Thorburn
Great Egret ( r )
Cattle Egret ( # )
Black-crowned Night-Heron (r)
IBISES
White-faced Ibis ( h -1909 )
NEW WORLD VULTURES
Turkey Vulture ( u )	31-Mar	LaClede	Paul Sieracki
HAWKS, KITES, EAGLES
Osprey ( c )	31-Mar	Dover	Paul Sieracki
Bald Eagle ( c )	1-Jan	Cocolalla	Gina Sheridan, Kim Thorburn
Northern Harrier ( c )
Sharp-shinned Hawk ( u )	13-Jan	Kootenai	Earl & Bev Chapin
Cooper's Hawk ( u )	14-Jan	Sandpoint	Earl & Bev Chapin
Northern Goshawk ( s )
Swainson's Hawk ( s )
Red-tailed Hawk ( c )	1-Jan	Silverwood	Gina Sheridan, Kim Thorburn
----Harlan's Hawk ( s )
Rough-legged Hawk ( c )	11-Jan	Sunnyside	Earl & Bev Chapin
Golden Eagle ( r )