KOOTENAI COUNTY BIRD CHALLENGE

2008 KOOTENAI COUNTY BIRDING BIG YEAR

Compiled by Shirley Sturts

PART 1

Dr. Stephen Lindsay did a Big Year in 2001. He attempted to see 200 birds in Kootenai County during the year 2001. He tallied up only 199 and on January 1, 2002 he found a Snow Owl out on Rathdrum Prairie. Had he found it the day before he would have made his 200. This gave me the idea of doing a Kootenai County Big Year as a group. Our first group Kootenai County Big Year was in 2002. We counted 195 species. We had a 192 in 2003, 207 in 2004 and 202 in 2005.

The idea of doing County Big Years caught on. Twenty-two Idaho Counties did Big Years for 2005. The results are posted on www.idahobirds.net. Shoshone, Bonner and Benewah counties are also our Audubon website.

Call Shirley 664-5318 or e-mail s.sturts@verizon.net to get credit for being the first to see a species for the year.

KOOTENAI COUNTY BIRD LIST

Checklist Compiled by Dr. Stephen Lindsay

Updated and Big Year by Shirley Sturts

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common, Uncommon = 151

scarce, rare = 92

accidental = 43

Kootenai County Total (seen since 1950) = 286

Historical record only ( h ) (pre-1950) = 6

OCCURRENCE 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 for 2008 - 189 as of December 9

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PART 1

*Species*	*Date*	*Location*	*Observer*
SWAN, GEESE, DUCKS
Greater White-Fronted Goose ( r )
Snow goose ( s )
Ross' Goose ( # )
…Brant () h-1899)
Cackling Goose
Canada Goose ( c )	January 1	Independence Point - Ocean Ave. CDA (flyover) - Spokane River	Bill Gundlach - Janet Callen - Terry Gray
Trumpeter Swan ( s )
Tundra Swan ( c )	January 2	Wolf Lodge Bay and Carlin Bay	Bill Gundlach - Leslie Covey
Wood Duck ( c )	March 7	Lane Marsh	Lisa Hardy
Gadwall ( c )	January 5	Indian Mt. CBC - Conkling Park	Charles Swift
Eurasian Wigeon ( s )	March 22	Lane Marsh	Bill Gundlach
American Wigeon ( c )	January 1	Beauty Bay	Bill Gundlach
Mallard ( c )	January 1	NIC Beach - Spokane River - Fernan Lake	Bill Gundlach - Shirley Sturts
Blue-winged Teal ( u )	May 27	Cougar Bay, CDA Lake	Tom Davenport
Cinnamon Teal ( c )	April 5	Hauser Lake	Terry Little
Northern Shoveler ( c )	March 20	Harrison	Lisa Hardy
Northern Pintail ( c )	January 5	Indian Mt. CBC - Medimont	Janet Callen, Gary Frensdorf, Eula Hickam
Green-winged Teal ( c )	January 5	Indian Mt. CBC (Harrison, Conkling Park	Lisa Hardy, Charles Swift
Common Teal (Eurasian race of the Green-winged teal (#)
Canvasback ( u )	January 5	Indian Mt. CBC - Conkling Park	Charles Swift
Redhead ( c )	January 5	Indian Mt. CBC - Harrison,	Lisa Hardy
Ring-necked Duck ( c )	January 1	Beauty Bay	Bill Gundlach
Tufted Duck ( # )
Greater Scaup ( s )	January 5	Indian Mt. CBC - Conkling Park	Charles Swift
Lesser Scaup ( u )	January 5	Indian Mt. CBC (Medimont, Harrison, Conkling Park	Lisa Hardy, Janet Callen, Gary Frensdorf, Eula Hickam, Charles Swift
Harlequin Duck ( r )
Surf Scoter ( r )	November 9	Rose Lake	Lisa Hardy, Janet Callen
White-winged Scoter ( r )
Long-tailed Duck ( r )	11 March	Honeysuckle Bay, Hayden Lake	Lisa Hardy
Bufflehead ( c )	January 1	Independence Point	Bill Gundlach
Common Goldeneye ( c )	January 1	Independence Point	Bill Gundlach
Barrow's Goldeneye ( s )	January 3	Farragut S.P. Spirit Lake CBC	Lisa Hardy, Bill Gundlach
Hooded Merganser ( c )	January 1	Mica Bay	Bill Gundlach
Common Merganser ( c )	January 1	NIC Beach - Spokane River	Bill Gundlach
Red-breasted Merganser ( r )	January 1	NIC Beach - Spokane River	Bill Gundlach
Ruddy Duck ( u )	January 21	Wolf Lodge Bay	Jonathan Isacoff
PARTRIDGES, GROUSE, TURKEY
Gray Partridge ( u )	January 5	Indian Mt. CBC - Harrison,	Lisa Hardy
Ring-necked Pheasant ( c )	January 5	Indian Mt. CBC - Medimont,	Janet Callen
Ruffed Grouse ( c )	January 3	Prairie southwest of Athol Spirit Lake CBC	Janet Callen, Jan Severtson
Spruce Grouse ( s )
Dusky (Blue) Grouse ( s )	October 25	Chilco Mountain	Michael Woodruff
------Sharp-tailed Grouse (h=1910,1914
Wild Turkey ( c )	January 1	Wolf Lodge Road	Bill Gundlach
NEW WORLD QUAIL
California Quail ( c )	January 1	NIC Beach - Spokane River Ocean Ave. CDA	Bill Gundlach Janet Callen
Northern Bobwhite (r, introduced)	January 5	Indian Mt. CBC -	Don Heikila
LOONS
Red-Throated Loon (#)
Pacific Loon ( s )
Common Loon ( c )	January 3	Bayview Spirit Lake CBC	Kris Buchler and Roland Craft
Yellow-billed Loon ( # )
GREBES
Pied-billed Grebe ( c )	January 5	Indian Mt. CBC (Harrison, Conkling Park	Lisa Hardy, Charles Swift
Horned Grebe	January 1	Blue Creek Bay	Bill Gundlach
Red-necked Grebe ( c )	January 1	NIC Beach - Spokane River	Bill Gundlach
Eared Grebe ( r )	May 4	River Road - flooded fields near Cataldo	Lisa Hardy
Western Grebe ( c )	January 1	Wolf Lodge Bay	Bill Gundlach
Clark's Grebe ( # )
PELICANS
American White Pelican ( s )
Double-crested Cormorant( u )	January 1	NIC Beach - Spokane River	Bill Gundlach
HERONS, BITTERNS
American Bittern ( r )
Great Blue Heron ( c )	January 1	Silver Beach	Bill Gundlach
Great Egret ( r )
Snowy Egret ( # )
Cattle Egret ( # )
Black-crowned Night-Heron (r)
IBISES
White-faced Ibis ( # )
NEW WORLD VULTURES
Turkey Vulture ( u )	April 7	I-90 and Huetter Road	Doug Ward

CONTINUED ON PART 2