Date: 10/29/25 3:42 pm From: Jeff Fleischer via groups.io <raptorrunner97321...> Subject: [IBLE] Winter raptor surveys
Hi Everyone,
About 10 days ago, I posted the attached message in hopes of getting some help filling some vacant raptor survey routes for our Winter Raptor Survey Project sponsored by the East Cascades Bird Alliance based in Bend, OR set to begin on November 1. I am happy to say that I have gotten some filled but not all of them so here is a list of routes still needing an interested volunteer to do the surveys :)
Craigmont-Mohler
Nezperce
Churchill-Oakley
Richfield
Heyburn
Minidoka NW
Rupert North
Burley East-Lake Walcott
Burley SW
American Falls-Rockland
Ashton
Dubois
If you live near these areas and have a desire to do some survey work this winter for birds of prey, please email me as soon as you can so I can get you prepared for what you will be doing. Thank you :)
Jeff Fleischer
Project Developer / Manager
Winter Raptor Survey Project
East Cascades Bird Alliance - Bend, OR (project sponsor)
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: Jeff Fleischer <raptorrunner97321...>
> Subject: Winter raptor surveys
> Date: October 19, 2025 at 8:00:44 AM PDT
> To: IBLE <ible...>
>
> Hi Everyone,
>
> Over the years, I have advertised vacant winter raptor survey routes in Idaho on IBLE. In two weeks we are about to embark on our 22nd season of surveys for the Winter Raptor Survey Project sponsored by the East Cascades Bird Alliance (formerly Audubon Society). Surveys will be conducted on 629+ survey routes covering more than 35,000 miles of transects throughout all of ID, OR, and WA, throughout the northern tier of CA and UT, throughout western MT, and in southern BC Canada. More than 500 primary volunteers will do once a month surveys from December through February, with additional options to survey in November and March.
>
> I would like you to know that the following survey routes, with their mileage lengths, are still available for volunteers to be assigned to this winter :
>
> Lake Lowell South 85
> Emmett South 66
> Emmett - Horseshoe Bend. 84
> Weiser West 32
> Craigmont - Mohler. 60
> Nez Perce 71 Churchill - Oakley 68
> Richfield 44
> Heyburn 41
> Minidoka NW 85
> Rupert North 69
> Burley East - Lake Walcott 67
> Burley SW 51
> American Falls - Rockland. 75
> Arimo - Virginia 56
> Ashton 76
> Dubois 51
>
> The fact that we have 153 routes throughout Idaho and that we only need these 17 routes to fill the entire state for this project says volumes regarding the dedication that Idaho volunteers in this project put forth :)
>
> To participate, I ask that our volunteers commit to doing one survey per month during the primary survey period from December through February. Volunteers can select survey dates each month to dovetail with their own life schedules. November and March are also available for surveying but these are optional months as they do contain migrational activity and this is a wintering project. You should have at least a pair of binoculars to help you find and ID the birds, spotting scopes are encouraged but not mandatory and you should be comfortable with IDing the common raptor species in these areas.
>
> If this sounds like something that you would like to do, I encourage you to email me soon so that you can hopefully cover the route(s) of your choice, I will necessarily fill these on a first come first served basis. If you make that decision, I will provide additional information and instruction to get you properly prepared for what you will be doing on these surveys. This is a fun way to enjoy winter birding while at the same time collecting valuable population data for this wonderful family of birds, I hope that you will join us this winter! :). Thank you,
>
> Jeff Fleischer
> Project Developer / Manager
> Winter Raptor Survey Project
> East Cascades Bird Alliance - Bend, OR (project sponsor)
