8/7/2017 today we stuck close to Coeur d’Alene and began our day at the North Idaho College campus which has a wonderful walking/running trail alongside the lake. Here was a tree full of nuthatches and a lake full of ring billed gulls. Okay, so not a lot of bird species but I haven’t seen pygmy nuthatches in years and years, so WHOO HOOO! Plus it was a gorgeous morning with a beautiful lake.
Canada geese
Bathing beauty… Ring billed gull 
After the college we explored and drove around the eastern edge of the lake where we saw more birds. Sadly the mountains were not visible because of the smoke from nearby forest fires. I think the smoke and the heat (it was in the upper 90s) kept most of the birds tucked into their hidey holes.
Great blue herons
Osprey 
Birds:
- Mallards
- Manky mallards
- Canada geese
- Domestic geese
- Ring billed gulls
- Mountain chickadees
- Pygmy nuthatches
- Osprey
- Double crested cormorants
- American crows
- California gulls
- Rock doves
- Ravens
- Barn swallows
- American robins
- Great blue herons
- Belted kingfisher
- Black capped chickadees
- Ruddy ducks
- Townsend’s solitaire
I really enjoyed the driving, looking, searching, talking, laughing, and Pygmy Nuthatches!!!
BlueRavenBirders 