Of bikes and birds

The Bullock's Oriole is a beautiful bird of fiery orange and black that can be found in the cottonwood trees along the Trail of the Coeur d'Alene's.

The oriole is just one of the many birds a group of bird-watching bicyclists saw Sunday along the trail during an expedition led by Carrie Hugo, wildlife biologist for the Bureau of Land Management's Coeur d'Alene office.

"We saw yellow-headed blackbirds, redwing blackbirds, coots, we heard a sorrow …" said Frank Van Vlymen, of Blanchard, who is an avid bird-watcher who has "birded" all over the world. "This is a beautiful spot here — it's a treasure."

He said the group also saw osprey, bald eagles, several different types of ducks, including mallards and cinnamon teals, and even a baby coot with a red head.

"The highlights have been black tern, the pelicans of course — everyone likes that — but unexpected was bobolink," Hugo said, explaining it is a grassland nesting bird and it is unusual to see it on the trail.

The group stopped often and saw so many birds it took nearly three hours to get halfway through the 11-mile trek where it stopped to turn around at a marsh near the Black Rock Trailhead, between Rose Lake and Medimont. While there, Hugo played a couple of bird songs, like the Virginia Rail, to try and draw out some of the "more elusive" birds. Several of the different types of ducks could be seen in that area, as could the great blue heron, but the elusive birds could be heard more than seen.

"I think it's just really awesome that, going slow, you can see so much," said Debbie Domy of Kellogg. "Just the variety of birds that are out there, it's just amazing."

Emma Stayduhar, of Wallace, said she learned about a couple new birds like the yellow-headed blackbird and the coot, which is a bird that resembles a duck but is actually in the Rallidae family. She said they also saw "the loveliest" flock of pelicans she had ever seen.

"Like (Domy) said, you just don't realize what you are missing when you go fast," Stayduhar said. "It was nice to meet some new people too."

While Hugo has spent time on the trail, this was the first time she has done a bird-watching tour. The expedition was organized by James Blakely from Idaho Parks and Recreation, and he asked Hugo if she would "come point out birds."

Blakely said it was very successful and there was even a waiting list, so they hope to do it again in the fall. They started at 8 a.m. and by the time they made it to that halfway point, the sun was beating down on the group, so Blakely said next time they will start a little bit earlier in the day.

Jim Lynn, of Spirit Lake, said it has been years since he and his wife, Sheelagh, have been on the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes and said there is so much to see and do through that area that most people don't realize. When he heard Hugo was leading the bird-watching expedition, he and his wife "definitely had to sign on." He said Hugo is a member of the Coeur d'Alene Audubon Society, an organization that helps to protect Idaho's wildlife.

He said she is one of the best birders in the area because she can tell what type of bird it is just by hearing it.

"She has done a fantastic job," Lynn said. "Without a doubt she is an amazing person. And she is fun to be with because she carries a lot of good energy — her energy is amazing."