From Russia, with love

There was big news from Russia last week and it was a tweet but it’s not the tweet you think I’m thinking of.

The tweet I’m thinking of was an actual tweet, which is to say it came from a bird. That’s right, an honest to goodness bird.

All the way from Russia.

Confused?

Lean in a little closer. Closer. Closer...

There’s a Russian bird in Idaho!

That’s right, a bird called a Siberian red-flanked blue tail flew all the way from Russia and ended up in Hells Gate State Park in Lewiston.

The bird, according to Wikipedia (which is never, ever wrong) is also known as an orange flanked robin. How its flanks went from orange to red is beyond me, but I do know this: That little bird flew a long, long way.

I checked Google maps to see what the mileage is from Lewiston to Siberia just for fun and it wouldn’t give me a mileage, but it did offer me a cheap flight to Anchorage, which is about 6 hours by plane and 2,487 miles by bus.

I doubt the bird flew directly from Siberia to Idaho. It probably flew across the Bering Strait from Russia to Alaska, which is only 55 miles and even closer if it did a little island hopping. Did you know that there are U.S. and Russian islands that are only about 2.5 miles apart?

I’ll bet the Siberian red-flanked blue tail does.

At any rate, the Siberian red-flanked blue tail is causing quite a stir in Idaho, so much so that president-elect Donald Trump actually Tweeted about it.

“Having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. Only “stupid” people, or fools, would think that it is bad!” he Twittered.

I couldn’t agree more. Russia is such a great place to live under Putin, even the birds are leaving — for Idaho no less.

But I kid, of course. The bird, however, was no joking matter and was boosting Idaho’s economy. One guy, Jeff Rusinow, flew in from Wisconsin just to get a glimpse of the bird, which has only been seen in the Lower 48 once before. Avid birders keep what’s called “life lists” where they keep track of all the birds they’ve ever seen, even in their sleep.

Rusinow had to wait awhile, too. According to a story in the Mineral Independent newspaper, he got to the park in Lewiston only to have the bird fly away.

But after waiting for 20 minutes or so, the bird came back, flicked its brilliant blue wings and pooped on his windshield.

Silly American!

Now the bird is making plans for a flight back to Russia. Perhaps it will stop in Moscow ... Idaho that is.

Chris Peterson is the editor of the Hungry Horse News.