Muldoon Canyon

Blaine County, ID

Tuesday 27 August 2024 85 °F

MONDAY, AUGUST 19:

After bidding adieu to Robi in the morning, Kathleen and I headed out for our fourth consecutive day of birding near the Wood River Valley of Central Idaho. We decided on Muldoon Canyon for the day since, being right outside Bellevue, it seemed the right choice after yesterday’s long trip.

We started off with the trusty CHUKAR in the wash just east of Bellevue:

And a group of AMERICAN KESTRELS mobbed by a BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE:

An offshoot canyon, Sharps Canyon, seemed promising so we tried our luck there. We managed to snag Kathleen’s F.O.Y. OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER!

Female-type LAZULI BUNTING:

HAIRY WOODPECKER:

SAVANNAH SPARROW:

Adult male LAZULI BUNTINGS:

HAMMOND’S FLYCATCHERS abounded on this particular valley which was great to see:

Back on Muldoon Canyon Rd, a lone DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT on a pond:

And shortly after Sharps Canyon, we found our first LEWIS’ WOODPECKERS of the day and my F.O.Y. — so cool!!!

Quite a bit later I lucked into spotting a PRAIRIE FALCON that flew up to some bigh cliffs above the road and perched:

And flew again, showing off its black armpits:

Closer to the Little Wood River, we had more WILLOW FLYCATCHERS:

And female YELLOW WARBLER:

And one shy GRAY FLYCATCHER:

As well as a WARBLING VIREO:

Out on the Little Wood Reservoir I spotted this CLARK’S GREBE:

And on our way back to Bellevue, we stopped at a spot the other day where we had a roosting LONG-EARED OWL, and Kathleen spotted it again, almost exactly in the same position as yesterday! Better yet we got to show her close friend, Fooh, (not Poo!) and this bird which was most likely her lifer. This will therefore be my bird-of-the-day for today.