-- Birds in Idaho, Oregon and Wyoming --

Driving on I-84 in Eastern Oregon, we spotted these Sandhill Cranes from the freeway.   There was no place to pull over so we took the next exit and were able to see these from a short road inside the bird refuge.


Near Pendleton, Oregon Annamarie spotted our first Ruddy Duck.


This appears to be either a Northern Harrier or a Red-tailed Hawk.


Near the same spot a Black-billed Magpie perched on another post.


He didn't stay long.


Near Boise

Al spotted this Mute Swan on a walk along Phyllis Canal.   According to our birding book, this is an east coast bird. Our local Audubon Society however, confirmed frequent sightings here in recent years.


Annamarie spotted these Great Blue Herons.   This was the first time we had seen more than two herons together, this photo has seven.   In the foreground are a few Canada Geese and hundreds of Mallards.


On the other side of this same waterway were hundreds of Mallards.



In February we learned of the migrating Snow Geese at Fort Boise Wildlife Management Area near Parma.   This photo is taken from a tower across the road from the preserve where the geese are resting on their flight north.


Zooming in on the area of what looks like styrofoam, we can see the actual geese.


Zooming in further affords a better view. One Mallard is in their midst.


Driving home, we came across a flock of 200 or so Greater White-fronted Geese.   This was a new species for us.



Red-winged Blackbirds in our back yard feeder.


Yellow-headed Blackbirds


A trip to Wyoming resulted in only one bird photo for us, a pair of Sandhill Cranes with their offspring between them.


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