President’s Letter from Barb North

Longer daylight is making me happier, though I am still wishing for snow to blanket our land and the water to seep in. My wish is for you to be safe, happy, and healthy, with many birds to see in your yards and your travels!

The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is coming Feb 12-15, 2021, see https://www.birdcount.org/. Remember to enter your data in eBird, and your photos in the GBBC contest.

Save your photos to share in our member photo meetings, too! Be sure to spend time to look at all the information on the website. You can go back to view past years photo contests also.

My call for Haiku submissions was heard! Three Haiku were sent in to share:

• First, from Chuck Trost on a visit to Massacre Rocks State Park:

A silent Dark-eyed Junco

Sat silently under a Sagebrush

While a Northern Shrike hovered nearby.

• Next, from Heidi Adamson, who is looking forward to the time when we can start meeting again:

Birds are paramount,

thus sorrow results when we

miss the Christmas count.

• Finally, from me, about feeding birds:

Whoosh of wings, soft calls

Daily greet steps, bin to stump.

Food’s here, herald sparrows!

Thanks for sharing with us! I appreciate your efforts and creativity.

Happy Birding and keep writing!

-Barb North

January 28

What a winter windstorm yesterday! Enough to blow the ears of a donkey. It was a good day to stay indoors and read my new bird book by Leigh Calvas, entitled The Hidden Lives of Owls. I am only about halfway through it and I have leaned a lot about owls and how hard it is to study them. But man, owls are cute. Each chapter covers a different owl so as I read about them I look up photographs on the Internet. Lots of fun when the wind is howling outside.

This morning it seemed most of the Lesser Goldfinches in Power County flew in for breakfast at our feeders and have a drink from our heated water bowl. They emptied the Niger seed feeder so there will be more work for me. Their bright yellow sure perks up a gloomy winter morning.

Maintenance work continues on the newly reopened Audubon birding trail out at the American Falls fish hatchery. I am learning how to maintain and use my chainsaw on all the downed trees from last falls giant wind storm. The trail is in good shape and a good place to bird out of the wind. The feeders are full so there should be lots to see including owls if you are lucky.

I hope you are staying warm and healthy.

-Good Birding!