Field Notes 

Compiled by Jon Isacoff

October 16, 2025

Migration is as we think of it is mostly over.  That said, migration for Northern and Arctic visitors is just beginning.  An extended warm, dry summer persisted through most of September and into October.  That has changed with frost and low evening temperatures and diminished daylight.  Will we get winter finches this year?  Bohemian Waxwings?  In the next few weeks, many Northern-breeding raptors, some owl species, and a continued movement of ducks and geese will move through our region.  October-November is prime time for rare saltwater specialties, such as Scoters, Long-tailed Duck, Pacific and Red-throated Loons.  Keep an eye on larger, deeper bodies of water for these.  Especially rare sightings are in all caps.

  • Greater White-fronted Goose: Oakesdale (10/16-CL)

  • Anna’s Hummingbird: Pullman (10/5-CL); Moscow (10/12-CS)

  • Sandhill Crane: Kootenai NWR (9/22-eBird); Dreary (10/12-eBird)

  • Black-bellied Plover: Sprague (9/23-JI); Reardan (10/5-MC); Cow Lake (10/5-JI); Saltese Flats (10/12-TO)

  • RED-THROATED LOON: Wolf Lodge Bay (10/7-DW)

  • Clark’s Grebe: Cow Lake (10/12-eBird)

  • Pacific Loon: Little Goose Dam (10/16-eBird)

  • Broad-winged Hawk: Salmo Mountain (9/20-AS)

  • Lewis’s Woodpecker: Sunnyside Road (10/11-eBird)

  • Black-backed Woodpecker: Little Pend Oreille NWR (9/26-eBird)

  • Blue Jay: Bonner’s Ferry (9/21-eBird); Sandpoint (9/29); Spokane (10/7-fide JI); Sagle (10/7-eBird)

  • White-winged Crossbill: Spruce Lake (10/11-JR)

  • Pine Grosbeak: Queen Mountain (9/28-JR)

  • Lapland Longspur: Bunchgrass Meadows (10/5-AS); Pampa Ponds (10/9-RB)

  • Golden-crowned Sparrow: Spring Valley Reservoir (10/3-eBird)

  • White-throated Sparrow: Holmberg Conservation Area (9/3-eBird); Cougar Bay 10/1-eBird); Spring Valley Reservoir (10/4-eBird); University of Idaho (10/14-GL)

Observers: RB-R.J. Baltierra; BB-Ben Bright; BD-Brenda Day; MC-Marlene Cashen; FC-Forest Corcoran; RC-River Corcoran; JC-Justin Cottrell; RDC-Rich Del Carlo; KD-Kas Dumroese; TD-Tim Durnell; SE-Shannon Ehlers; JE-Jacob Elonen; SF-Shaina French; MC-Micah Grove; BH-Bea Harrison; CH-Cameron Heusser; JI-Jon Isacoff; SJ-Steve Joyce; BK-Bob Kemp; DK-Dave Koehler; GL-Greg Lambeth; CL-Casey Lowder; LPM-Larry and Patty March; AM-Alan McCoy; CM-Curtis Mahon; WM-Will Merg; JM-Jody Morehouse; TO-Tim O’Brien; JP-Jared Peck; JR-Jethro Runco; SS-Sandy Schreven; MS-Mark Selle; AS-Alex Sowers; CS-Charles Swift; AT-Andrew Thomas; DW-Doug Ward; MW-Michael Woodruff; RW-Roger Woodruff

September 23, 2025

We’re just past peak of migration and as expected lots of cool birds that we don’t typically see have passed through the region. As hoped for, we had a number of fairly significant rarities. An extended warm, dry spell has made migration birding pleasant, if not downright hot at times. As mentioned last month, keep an eye migrants using habitats very different from the ones in which they typically breed. Check mixed flocks. And let’s hope migration continues apace and more interesting sightings show up in the next few weeks. Especially rare sightings are in all caps.

  • Anna’s Hummingbird: Potlatch (9/3-eBird)

  • Sandhill Crane: Medimont (8/29-JI); Ball Creek Preserve (9/7-eBird); Kootenai NWR (9/10-eBird)

  • Black-bellied Plover: Kootenai Point (9/16-DW, RD, JR); Philleo Lake (9/19-JI)

  • Short-billed Dowitcher: Hatton Coulee Rest Area (9/4-eBird)

  • Sanderling: Cow Lake (9/5-eBird)

  • RUDDY TURNSTONE: Cow Lake (9/9-JI)

  • PARASITIC JAEGER: Wawawai Road (9/8-KD)

  • Sabine’s Gull: Sandpoint (9/16-DW, RD, JR); Eloika Lake (9/20-AT)

  • Clark’s Grebe: Medimont (8/29-JI)

  • Common Tern: Sprague (9/1-RB); Silver Lake (9/8-MW)

  • Broad-winged Hawk: Holmberg Conservation Area (9/17-MS)

  • NOTHERN HAWK OWL: Mt. Spokane SP (9/20-file photo)

  • Lewis’s Woodpecker: Kamiak Butte (8/28-AS); Laird Park (9/1-eBird); Washtucna (9/3-eBird) WSU (9/12-eBird)

Lewis’s Woodpecker

  • Black-backed Woodpecker: Pyramid Lake (8/29-eBird); Round Lake SP (8/31-eBird)

  • Blue Jay: Bonners Ferry (9/6-JR)

  • White-winged Crossbill: Bunchgrass Meadows (8/30-eBird)

  • Golden-crowned Sparrow: Stevens Creek NA (9/8-eBird); Colfax (9/19-eBird); Washtucna (9/21-RB and JI)

  • White-throated Sparrow: Valley Road Wetlands (9/20-eBird)

  • CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER: Washtucna (8/29-eBird) Valley Road Wetlands (9/7-eBird)

Observers: RB-R.J. Baltierra; BB-Ben Bright; BD-Brenda Day; MC-Marlene Cashen; FC-Forest Corcoran; RC-River Corcoran; JC-Justin Cottrell; RDC-Rich Del Carlo; KD-Kas Dumroese; TD-Tim Durnell; SE-Shannon Ehlers; JE-Jacob Elonen; SF-Shaina French; MC-Micah Grove; BH-Bea Harrison; CH-Cameron Heusser; JI-Jon Isacoff; SJ-Steve Joyce; BK-Bob Kemp; DK-Dave Koehler; GL-Greg Lambeth; CL-Casey Lowder; LPM-Larry and Patty March; AM-Alan McCoy; CM-Curtis Mahon; WM-Will Merg; JM-Jody Morehouse; TO-Tim O’Brien; JP-Jared Peck; JR-Jethro Runco; SS-Sandy Schreven; MS-Mark Selle; AS-Alex Sowers; CS-Charles Swift; AT-Andrew Thomas; DW-Doug Ward; MW-Michael Woodruff; RW-Roger Woodruff


August 28, 2025

One of the coolest summers of recent decades is winding down and migration is in full force. Shorebirds have been migrating through the region since early July and songbirds are now joining them. Early September is the peak time for rare Eastern passerine migrants to pass through. This is the time of year when we see alpine and other specialized birds out of habitat looking for food as they migrate South. Look for mixed flocks of different species flitting in trees and bushes and you never know what you might find! Often these flocks will temporarily hook up with chickadees and nuthatches for security. Hopefully by the time this goes to press some additional neat rare sightings will already have happened! Especially rare sightings are in all caps.

  • Sandhill Crane: Moose Creek Reservoir (8/7-GL); Sheep Lake (8/20-RB)

  • Willet: Cataldo (7/31-eBird)

  • Marbled Godwit: Sandpoint (7/27-RDC)

  • Clark’s Grebe: Medimont (8/12-eBird)

  • Boreal Owl: Watch Lake (7/26-eBird)

  • Lewis’s Woodpecker: Heyburn SP (6/14-LPM); Little Spokane NA (8/1-eBird); Calispell Lake (8/6-AS); Moose Creek Reservoir (8/7-GL); Laird Park (8/25-eBird); Kamiak Butte (8/28-AS)

  • Black-backed Woodpecker: Odessa (6/10-eBird); Bonner’s Ferry (7/31-RDC)

  • American Three-toed Woodpecker: Colville National Forest (8/14-GL); Mt. Spokane SP (8/14-JI)

  • Prairie Falcon: Moose Creek Reservoir (8/7-GL)

  • Blue Jay: Bonner’s Ferry (8/11-eBird)

  • White-winged Crossbill: Coeur D’Alene (7/19-eBird)

  • Clay-colored Sparrow: Monster Farm (6/27-MW)

  • BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER: Wawawai Count Park (8/23-AS)

Observers: RB-R.J. Baltierra; BB-Ben Bright; BD-Brenda Day; MC-Marlene Cashen; FC-Forest Corcoran; RC-River Corcoran; JC-Justin Cottrell; RDC-Rich Del Carlo; KD-Kas Dumroese; TD-Tim Durnell; SE-Shannon Ehlers; JE-Jacob Elonen; SF-Shaina French; MC-Micah Grove; BH-Bea Harrison; CH-Cameron Heusser; JI-Jon Isacoff; SJ-Steve Joyce; BK-Bob Kemp; DK-Dave Koehler; GL-Greg Lambeth; CL-Casey Lowder; LPM-Larry and Patty March; AM-Alan McCoy; CM-Curtis Mahon; WM-Will Merg; JM-Jody Morehouse; TO-Tim O’Brien; JP-Jared Peck; JR-Jethro Runco; SS-Sandy Schreven; AS-Alex Sowers; CS-Charles Swift; AT-Andrew Thomas; DW-Doug Ward; MW-Michael Woodruff; RW-Roger Woodruff


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