Cassia Crossbill (1 Viewer)

[ShirleySekarajasingham]

Hello! I decided it's time to look for this bird, which would be a lifer in North America. I recently finally saw the Gunnison Sage-Grouse. Another odd lifer in North America. When is the best time of year to see the crossbill? Where in southern Idaho are some reliable locations? Thanks for advice.
BTW.... Does anybody know Larry Arnold? I haven't heard from him in a long time. I hope he's alive and well. Last I knew he was living in Boise, Idaho.
---shirley

 

[Ruff-Leg]

Hello! I decided it's time to look for this bird, which would be a lifer in North America. I recently finally saw the Gunnison Sage-Grouse. Another odd lifer in North America. When is the best time of year to see the crossbill? Where in southern Idaho are some reliable locations? Thanks for advice.
BTW.... Does anybody know Larry Arnold? I haven't heard from him in a long time. I hope he's alive and well. Last I knew he was living in Boise, Idaho.
---shirley

Check eBird - Cassia County, ID for recent sightings. I found mine at "Diamondfield Jack Campground," albeit two years ago, late August.

Scott

 

[ShirleySekarajasingham]

Check eBird - Cassia County, ID for recent sightings. I found mine at "Diamondfield Jack Campground," albeit two years ago, late August.

Scott

Thanks, Scott! Sounds like perfect timing for my trip plans.

 

[Nightjar61]

As a matter of fact, I’ll be looking for Cassia Crossbill two weeks from today.

Diamondfield Jack Campground seems to be the place. It’s an eBird hotspot, and all recent checklists from there indicate that people are seeing the crossbills without too much apparent difficulty.

Beware though. Red Crossbills are also reported from the location, so in order to make a positive ID, you’ll have to study the calls of both species. From what I understand, it’s not possible to identify them by sight alone.

Good luck,

Dave

 

[ShirleySekarajasingham]

As a matter of fact, I’ll be looking for Cassia Crossbill two weeks from today.

Diamondfield Jack Campground seems to be the place. It’s an eBird hotspot, and all recent checklists from there indicate that people are seeing the crossbills without too much apparent difficulty.

Beware though. Red Crossbills are also reported from the location, so in order to make a positive ID, you’ll have to study the calls of both species. From what I understand, it’s not possible to identify them by sight alone.

Good luck,

Dave

What a neat coincidence! Let me know how it goes. Since they're there all year, it should be relatively easy.

 

[connorco]

I had 4 at the campground last year. They were actually fairly difficult to find, I took me an hour of searching to find my first crossbills. All birds I had were flyovers, I never had any perched. Learning their calls is important, sense RECR are there (I had a couple).

 

[ShirleySekarajasingham]

I had 4 at the campground last year. They were actually fairly difficult to find, I took me an hour of searching to find my first crossbills. All birds I had were flyovers, I never had any perched. Learning their calls is important, sense RECR are there (I had a couple).

Really good advice! Thanks.

 

[Nightjar61]

What a neat coincidence! Let me know how it goes. Since they're there all year, it should be relatively easy.

I went to Diamondfield Jack Campground this morning and had the Cassia Crossbill within ten minutes. I ended up seeing six. Their calls were distinctive and I didn’t hear anything that sounded like Red Crossbill. I was there at about 8:00 and the birds were pretty vocal, but after about an hour or so I didn’t hear them anymore. People report them from throughout the day, but you might increase your odds if you go early.

Good luck.

Dave

 

[ShirleySekarajasingham]

As a matter of fact, I’ll be looking for Cassia Crossbill two weeks from today.

Diamondfield Jack Campground seems to be the place. It’s an eBird hotspot, and all recent checklists from there indicate that people are seeing the crossbills without too much apparent difficulty.

Beware though. Red Crossbills are also reported from the location, so in order to make a positive ID, you’ll have to study the calls of both species. From what I understand, it’s not possible to identify them by sight alone.

Good luck,

Dave

Thanks, Dave, for getting back to me with positive news, as promised. I have another friend who saw them a couple years ago in September in Porcupine Creek Campground not far from Diamondfield Jack. Did you camp in that area or stay in a motel or just move on....?

 

[ShirleySekarajasingham]

I thought I wrote a reply, Dave. See above. Let me know if you don't receive it. I'm new to this site.

 

[Nightjar61]

Thanks, Dave, for getting back to me with positive news, as promised. I have another friend who saw them a couple years ago in September in Porcupine Creek Campground not far from Diamondfield Jack. Did you camp in that area or stay in a motel or just move on....?

I stayed in a motel in Twin Falls, which is just about an hour away from the campground. I spent a week in southern Idaho, birding from Boise in the west to St. Anthony in the east. I first went to see the crossbills on Sunday and went back and saw them again the next Friday on my way back to Boise.

Dave