IBRC #3-B-12

IDAHO BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE
RARE BIRD REPORT FORM

SPECIES: Lewis's Woodpecker
HOW MANY: 1 Adult

REPORTER: Cheryl Huizinga 15140 Christopher St Caldwell, Idaho 83607 208-880-5687
REPORTER EMAIL: bchuizinga@cableone.net
OTHER OBSERVERS: Dave Hazelton Peggy Williams

DATE REPORT PREPARED: 1/10/2012
DATE SIGHTING OCCURRED: December 15, 2011 Garden Valley CBC

LOCALITY OF OBSERVATION: Schoolhouse Gulch Rd. Garden Valley, Idaho
HABITAT: Road up and into forest area
CONDITIONS: Cold, clear, calm winter mid-morning with sun at backs. Very little snow. Saw the WP for about 1 minute in clear view at top of bare snag. All 3 used binocs to see the bird about 50 ft. away.

DID YOU TAKE NOTES?: No, not at all
DID YOU CONSULT FIELD GUIDE OR OTHER REFERENCES?: No, not at all
WHAT GUIDE(S) OR REFERENCE(S) DID YOU CONSULT?:

DESCRIPTION: Woodpecker family. Darker green back, raspberry colored breast, distinctive red on face.
BEHAVIOR: It was flying around with several Northern Flickers. When it landed on a snag we thought it was another flicker until we really looked at it.

HOW AND WHEN DID YOU POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE BIRD, AND WHAT CLINCHED THE IDENTIFICATION FOR YOU? Instantly we knew what the WP was. Nothing else looks like a Lewis's WP. In fact, we all said about the same time, Lewis's WP! And since we were on a CBC, we were really looking at and for birds!
HOW DID YOU ELIMINATE SIMILAR SPECIES, AND WHAT WERE THEY? There were several Northern Flickers in the same area, but it flew a little different than they and certainly looked a lot different.

EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SPECIES (AND SIMILAR SPECIES): All 3 of us have seen numerous Lewis' WP in our birding adventures.
GENERAL BIRDING EXPERIENCE: Dave Hazelton - Field Trip CHM. for many years for GEAS, an expert birder. Peggy Williams - life-long birder - expert Cheryl Huizinga - 10 yrs. birding - intermediate birder

WERE PHOTO(S), VIDEO, AND/OR AUDIO OBTAINED BY YOU?: None