"If you take care of the birds, you take care of most of the environmental problems of the world."

Thomas Lovejoy

~News and Upcoming Events~

• Apology: I am so sorry about the recent email confusion. I copy-pasted an old email to get all of the formatting and forgot to change the subject line, among other things. I then headed off to Mexico and had no way of correcting my mistakes until I got home to my computer. Here is the CORRECT information:

• March 5th ~ PROGRAM ~ with Jhoseline Gutierrez ~ Coffee Agroecosystems in Mexico: Management, Habitat Structure, and Bird Diversity

• March 28th ~ FIELD TRIP ~ Owling Outing with Zeke Watkins at Niagara Springs WMA

• April 2nd ~ PROGRAM ~ Cassia Crossbill Status Update ~ with Lyn Snoddy (IDFG) and Jordan Whitt (USFS)

• April 4th ~ FIELD TRIP ~ Greater Sage-Grouse Lek Visit with Ken and Sarah Harris

• Thank you! to everyone who submitted photos (17 photographers!) for the Photo Share Party, to everyone who attended (56 attendees!), and to David and Tris Woodhead who graciously hosted our annual event. As soon as Jan gets back from sunny Phoenix, we'll put together a YouTube video and send out a link so you can watch it again.

• Order Plants for Pollinators from the Magic Valley Pollinator Council NOW through May 5th

March 5th Program

Coffee Agroecosystems in Mexico: Management, Habitat Structure, and Bird Diversity

with Jhoseline Gutierrez Zuniga

Thursday, December 5th, 2026

7:00 PM

Room 201, Shields Building, CSI

This will be an IN-PERSON program

ZOOM link available:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81204315864

In her presentation, Jhosaline will share the key findings from her research on bird communities in agroforestry systems within Mexico’s montane cloud forests. She will explore how management practices, the surrounding landscape, and habitat quality influence bird diversity in these productive environments. In addition, she will discuss how these factors affect body fat reserves in birds—an important indicator of individual health and habitat suitability.

Her work highlights the complex relationship between coffee production and biodiversity conservation, offering insight into how thoughtfully managed agroecosystems can support both livelihoods and wildlife.

Jhoseline is a Forest Engineer with a Master’s degree in Ecology from Mexico. She studied bird

communities in coffee agroecosystems, examining how habitat management influences

biodiversity, including resident and migratory species. Her research focuses on resilience and

how birds respond to changing landscapes.

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

MAP LINK

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:

Meet the Owls of North America

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

4th Annual Twin Falls

Pollinator Plant Sale

Purchase locally grown plants to start or expand your own pollinator garden!

Join the Twin Falls Pollinator Council in supporting bees, butterflies, birds and other beneficial insects in our area.

go to: https://tfpollinatorcouncil.org/ to place an order for a selection of Native Plants

Idaho Native Plants Collection

• 4 ea. Western Red Columbine – Aquilegia Formosa
• 4 ea. Rocky Mountain Penstemon – Penstemon strictus
• 4 ea. Swamp Milkweed – Asclepias incarnata
• 4 ea. Blue Flax – Linum lewisii
• 4 ea. Venus Penstemon – Penstemon venustus
• 4 ea. Bluebell Bellflower – Campanula rotundifolia
• 4 ea. Licorice mint – Agastache rupestris
• 4 ea. Aspen Daisy – Erigeron speciosus

These native plants are beneficial to our local pollinators and come back year after year. This is representative of what will be offered. Actual plants offered may be different.

$50.00 Four starter plants of each variety (8) for a total of 32 plants!

Place your ORDER NOW!

Scan the QR Code or

CLICK HERE

Pick up your plants

Friday, May 8th

or Saturday, May 9th, 2026

between 10 am and 3 pm

Native Roots LLC

2475 E 3600 N

Twin Falls, ID 

Ways to help winter birds

From Penn State Extension

1. Leave leaf litter lie on the floor of your gardens.

Most overwintering songbirds spend much of their time foraging through the leaf litter on the floor of your garden looking for the tiny insects and insect eggs that will sustain them throughout the long cold. If you painstakingly clean every leaf off your garden in the fall, you are destroying the birds' main food source.

2. Provide thick growth.

Birds take shelter in the protective boughs of evergreens or within any shrubs that provide thick growth. Juncos and tree sparrows often take shelter on the ground under the warm boughs. They especially appreciate a stand of several evergreens massed together.

3. Clean your birdhouses, then leave them up for the winter.

Many birds take shelter from the wind in an empty birdhouse. Chickadees and downy woodpeckers especially enjoy enclosed cavities. Clean out your bird houses of any old nesting material at the end of the summer. To help prevent disease and possible parasite infestation, wipe them down or spray them with a ten percent Clorox solution.

4. Provide native plants with edible fruit, berries, and seeds.

Most native perennials provide seed heads which birds eat throughout the winter. Rudbeckia, coneflowers, Salvia, Coreopsis, sunflowers and most daisy-like flowers are some of their favorites. Also, asters, goldenrod, and many grasses provide needed food for the birds. Sure, you may want to deadhead some of these for prolonged blooms throughout the summer, but starting in late summer, let the seed heads stand.

Chokecherry, Hackberry, and Juniper do their part by providing berries for hungry birds throughout the winter. In shopping for some of these shrubs, always look for the natives. Most have non-native cousins that the birds will ignore.

Some trees that provide fruit that birds love include American crabapples, serviceberry, mulberry, juniper, and dogwood. If you enjoy seeing songbirds in your garden, make it a late New Year's Resolution to add some of these plants to your property in the spring.

5. Keep bird feeders filled.

This is the time of year when bird feeders are really appreciated. They will probably need to be refilled every day. It's important for the feeders to be close to shelter where small birds can quickly find refuge from predators, however, not so close that a cat can hide within the thick branches then jump out to grab the unsuspecting bird.

Keep in mind that different bird species have different feeding requirements. Some prefer a hanging feeder while others require a seeds scattered on the ground.

6. Provide drinkable water.

One of the most important things is providing water. Birds need drinkable water which is often difficult to find in icy weather. Use a birdbath heater to prevent the water from freezing, even on the very coldest days.

All these suggestions not only help our bird friends, but provide us with entertainment on long winter days. Obviously, planting native trees and shrubs is not something you can do today, but investing in a feeder, suet holder, birdbath heater, or birdhouse is something you could do immediately. Then plan ahead to invest in at least one native tree or shrub to add to your landscape in the spring.

7. Watch Birds, Share What You See

Enjoy birds while helping science and conservation: Join a project such as eBird, Project FeederWatch, Christmas Bird Count, Climate Watch, or The Great Backyard Bird Count to record your bird observations. Your contributions will provide valuable information to show where birds are thriving—and where they need our help. 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.

More Simple Actions to Help Birds

From the Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Click the link above to read the full article, watch some great little videos, and be inspired to do some good in the world to help out the birds