SKIING
Sun Valley Resort is sure looking good with snow. The resort received about five inches of snow Saturday and with all its snow-making equipment is a sure bet for opening Thanksgiving Day.

Check out the photo provided by Sun Valley Resort. The resort is reporting 32 inches on top; 28 inches at mid-mountain and 24 inches at the base. See www.sunvalley.com for more details.

YURTS
The Payette Powder Guides in McCall are also reporting good snow coming in. They've had several small storms and have 10 inches on the ground with about 7 inches of new around Lick Creek Summit
.
"We're off to a good start, at least for a kick and glide ski on the road," they said. They operate the Lick Creek Summit Yurts. For information, see www.payettepowderguides.com.

BIRD WATCHING
C.J. Strike Reservoir is the place to see bald eagles fishing and wild swans flying.

I was at the reservoir over the weekend and really surprised by the eagle action. Occasional swans went over. Couldn't tell if they were trumpeter or tundra swans but they sure are big and beautiful.

You'll be sharing the area with waterfowl hunters but you can find places to scan the horizons with your binoculars.

SALMON WEBSITE
Local salmon expert Bert Bowler of Snake River Salmon Solutions has launched a new Website. If you want to learn about the issues, check out www.snakeriversalmonsolutions.org

HUMMERS
Local bird watcher Julie Harris was still seeing Anna's hummingbirds last weekend. "Instead of picking up stragglers, I think we're attracting residents. We had a second hummer show up Saturday," she said.

"They're chasing each other around the feeders. We're working on ways to keep the nectar from freezing- bringing the feeders in at night and also experimenting with a globe of Xmas lights around another to see if it prevents freezing," she said.

"We're devoted bird lovers so we'll continue to provide for these little ones as long as they keep up residence," she said.

We have gotten reports that a few Anna's hummingbirds have been year-around residents in the Boise area. Anybody else seeing hummingbirds this time of the year?

WHITEWATER PARKS
There's a groundbreaking today for the facilities at the whitewater park in Cascade on the North Fork of the Payette River.
And, we're hearing that work will begin on portions of the Boise River Park this winter. We'll have a story in Thursday's Idaho Statesman.