Jays, merlins and flickers in flight

SANDPOINT -- Talk of birds filled the air at the Sandpoint branch of East Bonner County Library District on a temperate Thursday afternoon.

The occasion was the April Programs Committee presentation hosted by the Friends of the Library, and the speaker was Rich Del Carlo of Peregrine Tree & Landscape.

Del Carlo is a certified arborist and a lifelong birdwatcher. At Thursday's presentation, he told the full house about birds native to the Sandpoint area, spun a few stories and offered advice for budding birdwatchers.

"Birding is the biggest sport in the United States," he said. "We have a huge diversity of birds in Idaho. There's this whole other world that many people don't know exists."

Del Carlo described the sport as a matter of heightened awareness. For example, the unique call of the merlin falcon altered him to a pair that have set up housekeeping in residential Sandpoint.

Merlins are small, compact and fast flyers, according to the "Audubon Guide to North American Birds." They have become more common in urban areas where birds such as sparrows provide a consistent food source.

"They catch birds out of the air," Del Carlo said.

The merlins are just a minute sample of the local summer bird population, according to Del Carlo.

"We've easily got 150 species here by the end of the summer," he said. 

Many of them fly significant distances to reach the area. The bobolink makes one of the lengthiest migrations, setting out from winter quarters in Argentina to nest in the hay fields on the outskirts of town, Del Carlo said.

Some of the non-migratory birds that tough out the North Idaho winters include chickadees, nuthatches, flickers and pileated woodpeckers. Del Carlo joins many Sandpoint bird lovers in late December to help tabulate their numbers for the Audubon Christmas bird count, which is in its 116th year, he said.

When an audience member asked about the best places to go birding in the area, Del Carlo had a few suggestions.

"If you want to see ducks and geese, Sandpoint City Beach is actually listed as a birding site," he said.

Up on Schweitzer Mountain, birders can catch sight of gray and Steller's jays, chickadees and red crossbills -- a type of finch. Also, hundreds of swans touch down in March in the Pack River Flats and Denton Slough, he said.

The Oden Bay and Sunnyside Loop, a 10-mile motor route that circles the lake and includes the Flats and Denton Slough, is one of the birding trails recommended by Idaho Fish and Game. Geese, mallards, coots and bald eagles are in residence all year long. Waterfowl such as loons, canvasbacks and widgeons are present in spring and fall, according to the agency's website.

When asked which bird seed mix attracts the largest variety of species to backyard feeders, Del Carlo's immediate response was "sunflower seeds." He uses flat platform-type feeders, and in the winter, puts out suet to attract woodpeckers.

"The main thing with bird feeders is keeping them clean. A dirty feeder can spread disease or fungus among the birds," he said.

When asked about how to identify unfamiliar birds, Del Carlo recommended using books such as the "National Geographic Field Guide to Birds of North America" as reference material. Also, online resources can help identify birds both by appearance and by song.

"On a hike, you can use your phone," he said, mentioning iBird Pro as one app option.

If all else fails, birders should start with what they know and work outward from there, taking note of the type of bird, what it sounds like, how it moves, and so on to gather identifying data

"It's a matter of becoming aware of what's there." Del Carlo said.