There will be a taxonomy update on ebird on Tuesday, August 15th. So birds who have Red Crossbills from South Hills or Type 9 should see Cassia Crossbill on your life list. I suppose this also means that Thayers Gull is going away.

The ebird team is suggesting that on August 16 everyone submit a checklist from an area where you haven’t birded recently. They are updating filters and if you use a recent spot your phone won’t update properly.

For the entire story go to the ebird link at http://ebird.org/content/ebird/news/2017-ebird-taxonomy-update-coming-15-august/

Denise Hughes
Caldwell, Idaho

Hello birding friends,

Had a great morning of birding on the Warm Springs Trail up Mt. Balde in the Sun Valley Area! The two most noteworthy birds were a photographed TOWNSEND’S WARBLER, as well as a heard-only BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER. The Woodpecker was identified because I heard it calling its “pik! pik!” call multiple times, and it called in response to playback from iBird Pro – I just never managed to lay eyes on the bird this time. Full list is attached below.

Photos will be posted on my blog soon: worldbirding.travellerspoint.com

Good birding,
Henry Griffin (Ketchum, Blaine County)

Red-tailed Hawk 1
hummingbird sp. 1
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Black-backed Woodpecker 1 Heard clearly calling “pik! pik!” multiple times, including in response to iBird Pro tape. Has been seen at this location multiple times in the past. In the burned area about two miles up the trail from the base of the mountain.
Pileated Woodpecker 1 Heard only far down the mountain from above
Olive-sided Flycatcher 3
Western Wood-Pewee 1
Hammond’s Flycatcher 4
Dusky Flycatcher 8
Cordilleran Flycatcher 2
Cassin’s Vireo 2
Black-billed Magpie 2
Clark’s Nutcracker 5
Common Raven 1
Violet-green Swallow 5
Black-capped Chickadee 3
Mountain Chickadee 30
Red-breasted Nuthatch 20
Brown Creeper 1
House Wren 8
Mountain Bluebird 1
Townsend’s Solitaire 2
Hermit Thrush 1
American Robin 12
Cedar Waxwing 7
Orange-crowned Warbler 1
Yellow Warbler 5
Yellow-rumped Warbler 2
Townsend’s Warbler 1 Pics
Chipping Sparrow 15
Dark-eyed Junco 7
Green-tailed Towhee 3
Western Tanager 2
Lazuli Bunting 1
Cassin’s Finch 10
Pine Siskin 25
American Goldfinch 1
passerine sp. 20

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S38607823 http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S38607823