Thomas Lovejoy
E-Newsletter
~News and Upcoming Events~
March 28th ~ FIELD TRIP~
Owling Outing with Zeke Watkins at Niagara Springs WMA
Find more below—
April 2nd ~ PROGRAM ~
Cassia Crossbill Habitat Management Plan Update ~ with Lyn Snoddy (IDFG) and Scott Soletti and Jordan Whitt (USFS)
Find more below–
April 4th ~ FIELD TRIP ~
Greater Sage-Grouse Lek Visit with Ken and Sarah Harris
Find more below–
April 22nd ~ BONUS Program! ~
Live Bird Presentation with the World Center for Birds of Prey
Find more below–
April 25th ~ Volunteer!~
Orton Botanical Garden Spring Clean-up.
Find more below–
May 1st ~ FIELD TRIP ~
Little City of Rocks north of Gooding, ID
Find more below–
Birds and Beans Coffee – The Most Sustainable Coffee You can Buy!
Order Bird Friendly Coffee NOW for May 7th Pick-up at the Program
Member Discounts!!
Please submit your order ON or BEFORE Tuesday, April 15th, 2026
By choosing to purchase Smithsonian certified bird-friendly coffee, you are supporting bird conservation and family farmers throughout the Americas. Organic and Fair Trade, this coffee is grown in the shade, under a canopy of native trees with shrubs and plants that provide critical refuge for migratory and local birds, as well as the rich flora and fauna of the tropical forest. In short, this great tasting coffee rewards in the cup and helps ensure that the birds we all love return every spring.
Order Birds and Beans bird-friendly coffee through our website on or before April 15th and pick up your coffee at the May 7th Program! If you are a proud MEMBER of Prairie Falcon Audubon, you will receive a discount on each bag of coffee purchased (you will see the discount after you log in as a Member).
Our April coffee order deadline is Wednesday evening, April 15th.
Be sure to order enough to get you through the coming months – Birds and Beans Certified Coffee makes excellent cold-brew! And December is a long way off!
Bird-friendly coffee would taste even better in one of these mugs made by Virginia Hutchins!
Note from Virginia Hutchins: Hello, birders! I met many of you when I was a Twin Falls journalist. Now I’m a part-time potter, still in Twin Falls, and I just took a few pieces out of the kiln that I thought might interest someone in the birding crowd. (The mug pictured second from left has an outline of Idaho on the reverse side.) If anyone is interested, just call or text me at 208-736-8298
Upcoming Events
Owling Outing
Saturday, March 28th
7:30 PM – 10:00
Niagara Springs Wildlife Management Area
RSVP or get more information
by contacting trip leader
Zeke Watkins: scottywarbler@yahoo.com
Meet up with Zeke at 7:30 in the parking area at the bottom of Clear Lakes Grade
We will head out to find owls. On past outings we have seen and/or heard Great-horned, Western Screech, Northern Saw-whet, and Barn Owls!
Be sure to bring your binoculars, a flash light, a walking stick, warm quiet* clothes appropriate for the weather du jour, and water or maybe a thermos of something warm to drink.
*Some things to know before you go – – – –
- The quieter we all are, the better our chances of observing owls.
- Soft quiet fabric only. NO SLICK SWISHY SYNTHETICS! Fleece and blue jeans are ok.
- If your belongings are noisy in any way (swish, rattle, squeak, beep, ring. etc.), please leave them home or noise-proof them.
- Snacks and drinks are fine but no noisy wrappers or drink lids.
- NO PETS, NO EXCEPTIONS.
- Flashlights are welcome for the return walk back to the vehicles. We will be moving between spots in the dark so we don’t spook the owls. Bring a walking stick if you’re worried about tripping in the dark.
Check out this website to see images and hear audio of Western Screech-Owl, Great-Horned Owl, Barn Owl, and Northern Saw-whet Owl:
What are Folks Doing About
The Cassia Crossbill?
with Lyn Snoddy (IDFG) and
Scott Soletti and Jordan Whitt (USFS)
Thursday, April 2nd, 2026
7:00 PM
Room 201, Shields Building, CSI
This will be an IN-PERSON program
ZOOM link available:
https://csi.zoom.us/j/2730389966
The Cassia Crossbill (CACR) Working Group finalized the CACR Habitat Management Plan last June. Lyn and Jordan will discuss what is known about CACR and what is in the Plan. They will provide an overview of how this plan serves as a comprehensive framework for conserving Idaho’s only endemic bird species, which is restricted to the South Hills and Albion Mountains.
This non-migratory bird relies almost exclusively on the seeds of serotinous lodgepole pinecones, a resource threatened by large-scale wildfires and extreme heat that cause cones to release seeds prematurely. They will also discuss how the Plan outlines a collaborative strategy involving federal, state, and tribal stakeholders to mitigate these risks through adaptive management and targeted forest treatments. Key objectives in the Plan include reducing fuel loads, thinning dense stands to accelerate cone production, and expanding pine habitat into cooler microclimates to ensure long-term forage availability.
From Lyn: I grew up in south Louisiana hunting and fishing in the Atchafalaya Delta and attended LSU for undergrad. I did about 8 years of seasonal field work, which included work on many species of waterfowl, including Steller’s eiders and black brant, pygmy rabbits, moose, and ruffed grouse, before going to graduate school at Arkansas Tech to assess carrying capacity of moist-soil wetlands in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. I ended up working for the Forest Service for about 6 years as a NEPA and Litigation Coordinator on the Sawtooth National Forest and a Zone Wildlife Biologist for the Nez Perce-Clearwater NF, then landed my dream job with Fish and Game- Regional Wildlife Diversity Biologist. My background and personality put me squarely in the jack-of-all-trades category of wildlife management and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the diversity of my current position.
Sage Grouse Lek Trek
Saturday, April 4th
6:00 AM – 12:00 AM (??)
Meet up at 6:00 AM (and be prepared to leave ASAP) in the SE corner of the Twin Falls County West parking lot. (DMV – Old Hospital parking lot)
We’ll drive to Rogerson, ID, cross over the Salmon Falls Dam and head east to what has been a very active lek in years past.
Bring your scope, binoculars, camera, snacks and water.
Sorry, no dogs. We’ll be observing
the lek from cars, but will most likely do a bit of birding outside our vehicles after seeing the grouse, so wear appropriate clothing. Stops on the way home will include Cedar Cr. Reservoir and Lud Drexler Park. Please RSVP by emailing Sarah- idabirder@gmail.com
The road to the site may be muddy! We will need to take high-clearance 4-wheel drive vehicles the last 1/4 mile as we approach the lek. If you have a high-clearance 4-wheel drive vehicle, we’d love to have you drive it. We’ll pile into said vehicles just before we get to the lek. If it turns out we don’t have enough 4WD vehicles, we’ll have to take turns.
One of the iconic native species of the West is the Greater Sage-Grouse. Every spring, these birds gather at sites adjacent to nesting grounds called leks, where the males put on elaborate displays of courtship characterized by strutting and unique vocalizations.
You can see and hear this ritual yourself at a lek west of Salmon Falls Reservoir on Saturday, April 4th. We’ll meet up in the Twin Falls County West parking lot at 6:00 AM. Viewing the birds is best an hour before, and an hour after sunrise, so that’s why we will be heading out so early. Because sage grouse are sensitive to human disturbance, we’ll try to reduce the number of vehicles approaching the lek by carpooling.
Photographers might be challenged by their distance from the leks and obstacles, but bring your camera anyway, and be sure to bring a pair of binoculars and a spotting scope if you have one.
Disclaimer: please be aware that other limiting factors may cause the grouse to leave the viewing site early or to not visit the site at all. Eagles, coyotes and other predators can scare them away. Wind, rain or snow can also cause them to seek cover and stay out of sight.
Learn more about Greater Sage-Grouse HERE
April 22nd ~ BONUS Program!
Live Bird Presentation with the World Center for Birds of Prey
This special program will be at the Universal Unitarian Fellowship
160 9th Ave E, Twin Falls at
2:00 PM on Wednesday, April 22nd
Please invite friends, family, grandchildren to this special presentation. There will be plenty of room and who does not want to see a live falcon?
Chris Parish, president and CEO of The Peregrine Fund, and Stephanie Ashley, Curator of Birds at The Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, along with a live falcon, will visit Twin Falls on Wednesday, Aprill 22nd. We’ll hear about the incredible work they do to keep birds of prey soaring worldwide and meet and learn all about the ecology and biology of one of their educational birds – Chiku, a Taita Falcon, or Schmidt, a Peregrine Falcon!
The Peregrine Fund, founded in 1970, is responsible for saving Peregrine Falcons from extinction through its captive breeding and release program and ultimately its removal from the Endangered Species List. They spearheaded efforts to increase the population of California Condors from just 22 individuals to a population of over 560 today. Between 300 and 350 of those birds are flying free in California, Arizona, Utah, and Baja and The Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise is one of four facilities that breed California Condors for release, contributing 16-20 young birds per year. Overall, the Center has raised over 270 birds, accounting for over half of the total wild population. But Condors, and other scavengers continue to struggle due to lead poisoning caused by ingestion of lead bullet fragments found in carcasses. To that end Chris Parish and The Peregrine Fund are working to remove lead from the food chain by encouraging the use of non-lead ammunition to prevent lead poisoning in condors and other wildlife. This is going to be a great program! You will not want to miss it!
Chris Parish, Peregrine Fund President and CEO: Chris grew up in the southern San Joaquin Valley of California, the grandson of sharecroppers who migrated there following the Dust Bowl. His strong work ethic and drive were shaped by childhood immersed in athletics, farm labor, and a deep pride in his heritage. Chris received an athletic scholarship to attend Northern Arizona University, where he earned his B.S. in Biology with an emphasis on Fish and Wildlife Management. He began his career with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, working on the Black Footed Ferret Reintroduction Program before transitioning to Condor Project Coordinator in 1997. Chris joined The Peregrine Fund to direct the Condor Program in 2000. Throughout his tenure with TPF, Chris has developed extensive leadership experience in wildlife conservation, which includes co-founding the North American Non-Lead Partnership in 2018 to address lead poisoning in scavenging wildlife, the primary impediment to Condor Recovery. He was promoted to President and CEO of TPF in 2021, where he continues to lead global conservation efforts focused on birds of prey and biological ecosystems. Chris enjoys hunting, hawking, and fishing with friends and family – anything that allows him to enjoy the great outdoors. He spends some of his time in Arizona but resides in Kuna, Idaho, with his wife, Ellen, with whom he shares two children and one grandchild.
Stephanie Ashley has been privileged to work with over 50 raptors across 27 species over the past two decades. She started her career as a volunteer at both Utah’s Hogle Zoo and Tracy Aviary. She was quickly hired on as staff at Tracy Aviary’s bird show, ultimately advancing to Lead Trainer over the following eight years. After leaving Tracy Aviary, Stephanie became a licensed falconer and earned an AS in Wildlife Biology at Western Wyoming Community College and a BS in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences at Oregon State University. She participated in several field projects, including a self-led research project to document the effects of scavenger diversity on carrion decomposition in high desert sagebrush steppe and a falconry initiative to identify, trap, and relocate sheep-depredating Golden Eagles in southwest Wyoming. Stephanie has been the Curator of Birds at The Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise since 2021. She enjoys birding, camping, hiking, and fishing and is licensed as a Master Falconer in the state of Idaho where she is currently pursuing quail with her 3-year-old Aplomado Falcon, Inti.
Chiku is a 4-year-old Taita Falcon. He was bred at the World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise. We had hoped that Chiku’s parents would raise him themselves, but they were inexperienced and unable to care for him on their own. For his safety, our propagation team removed Chiku from his parents when he was only a few days old and raised him by hand. He has been with popular ambassadors ever since. Taita Falcons are found in eastern Africa. They are listed as “Vulnerable” by the IUCN due to small, rapidly declining populations with limited distribution.
Schmidt is an 8-year-old Peregrine Falcon. He was donated to The Peregrine Fund as an ambassador when he was less than one year old. There are 19 subspecies of Peregrine Falcons in the world.
Schmidt is a pallid, or pale, color morph of the cassini subspecies from Patagonia. This color variation is so distinct that these birds were once thought to be a separate species! Peregrine Falcons are considered to be “Least Concern” worldwide following their dramatic recovery at the end of the 20th century. However, some local populations, including populations of pallid South American Peregrines in Tierra del Fuego, could be vulnerable due to deficient data and lack of current monitoring.
Volunteer Opportunity!
Spring Clean-up at Orton Botanical Garden
867 Filer Ave W
Twin Falls, ID
Saturday, April 25th
7:30AM – whenever
Volunteers needed to help clean up the garden before May Plant Sales.
Enjoy good coffee, birthday coffee cake (Melody Asher’s Early Birthday), birding, and conversation as we help in the garden.
Arrive at 7:30 for a cup of coffee and birthday coffee cake. Lamar and Rosalie will provide instructions while we fortify ourselves. We’ll then do a short walk around the Garden with binoculars to do a quick survey of birds. As we walk the Ortons will point out areas that need special attention, and help us understand what is, and is not, a weed.
The garden will have trowels, pruners, and some gloves available, but members are encouraged to bring their own gloves and tools. One set of knee pads, and two low stools are available, but for those with mobility concerns it is highly recommended to bring knee pads or to ask for tasks that allow for standing.
One side of the green gates for the parking area will be open on Filer Ave W. with additional parking on Filer Ave W. itself.
Plant Sales: May 17 & 18 and 24 & 25
Little City of Rocks Field Trip
Saturday, May 1st
6:00 AM – 12:00 AM (??)
Meet up at 6:00 AM (and be prepared to leave ASAP) on the west side of the Barnes and Noble parking lot. We’ll carpool to Gooding, then head north to the Little City parking area. The turnoff for the Little City of Rocks is located 12.5 miles north of Gooding, Idaho on Highway 46 and marked by a BLM sign. You will find the turn at N43° 06.391 W114° 40.271
The parking area/trailhead is located about two miles down a graded dirt road suitable for most vehicles. Given our very dry winter, the road should be dry and not too terribly rough.
Plan to marvel at the unique rock formations while looking for birds. We should see Chukar, Rock and Canyon Wren, Brewer’s Sparrow, Sage Thrasher, Horned Lark, Western Meadowlark, Golden Eagle, Common Raven, and more. Rattlesnakes, Gopher Snakes and a variety of lizards are also very common in the area, so we’ll keep an eye out for those too!
We will walk about one and a half miles through the center of the canyon past towering hoodoos. There are many amazing sights to see from the trail and opportunities to explore even more formations off the trail as well. The trail leads along a small creek that must be crossed a few times, but will most likely be dry when we visit. At the 1.5 mile mark, the trail splits into two canyons. Some trail maps show the route as a loop that can be accessed from either canyon but hikers must be willing to scramble off trail to complete the loop. We will be turning around at this point to avoid going off trail.
Things to consider: There is little shade on this hike and it can get very hot in the summertime. Bring plenty of water, sun screen, maybe some mosquito dope, and snacks (or a lunch). Wear boots, light-weight long pants, and a good sun hat. Don’t forget your binoculars and a camera.
Little City of Rocks Geology Explained (2.5 min long)
Ways to help birds
- Make Windows Safer, Day and Night These simple steps save birds: On the outside of the window, install screens or break up reflections—using film, paint, or other markers spaced uniformly 2 inches apart across the entire surface of the glass, or Acopian BirdSavers spaced 4 inches apart.
- Keep Cats Indoors A solution that’s good for cats and birds: Save birds and keep cats healthy by keeping cats indoors or creating an outdoor “catio.” You can also train your cat to walk on a leash.
- Reduce Lawn, Plant Native Add native plants, watch birds come in: Native plants add interest and beauty to your yard and neighborhood, and provide shelter and nesting areas for birds. The nectar, seeds, berries, and insects will sustain birds and diverse wildlife.
- Avoid Pesticides A healthy choice for you, your family, and birds: Consider purchasing organic food. Nearly 70% of produce sold in the U.S. contains pesticides. Reduce pesticides around your home and garden.
- Drink Coffee That’s Good for Birds Enjoy shade-grown coffee: It’s a win-win-win: it’s delicious, economically beneficial to coffee farmers, and helps more than 42 species of North American migratory songbirds that winter in coffee plantations, including orioles, warblers, and thrushes.
- Protect Our Planet from Plastic Reduce Your Plastics: Avoid single-use plastics including bags, bottles, wraps, and disposable utensils. It’s far better to choose reusable items, but if you do have disposable plastic, be sure to recycle it.
- Watch Birds, Share What You See Enjoy birds while helping science and conservation: Join a project such as eBird, Project FeederWatch, Christmas Bird Count, Breeding Bird Survey, or the International Shorebird Survey Note: If you don’t yet know how to use eBird, we have a free course to help you get the most out of the project and its tools.
Equity, Diversity and
Prairie Falcon Audubon, Inc. fully supports
National Audubon Society’s statement on
Equity, Diversity and
(www.audubon.org/about/equity-
Prairie Falcon Audubon, Inc. believes that everyone has the right to enjoy birds, the outdoors, and a healthy and safe environment. In order to fulfill our mission to educate the general public about birds, bird watching, and preservation/