I know it seems like I’m posting a lot lately, but the birds keep finding me
(or vice versa). Today, when I got to Esther Simplot Park (ESP), I found a
juvenile Snow Goose. It was on the main pond at ESP, but it moved around a
lot. It’s back was “dingy gray” as mentioned in Sibley, but not as dark as
the picture of an immature in that book. I was initially stumped by what
appeared to be a black bill, but after looking at lots of pictures in
various books and apps, immatures seem to have very dark bills.
I observed the bird 3 separate times. Once it was cruising around the island
they built at ESP, once it was hanging out with Canada Geese near the
Quinn’s Pond end of the ESP pond, and the last time it was on the back part
of the pond, close to Whitewater Park Blvd. I hope it hangs around for a
while.
Tom McCabe, Boise
P.S. The Merlins and Magpies at Veteran’s Pond seem to be playing “tag.”
When it’s only one Magpie, the Merlin and Magpie alternate who’s “It.” When
there is more than one Magpie, they are always “it” and the Merlin is trying
to avoid getting tagged. I’ve seen the behavior several times in the last
few days and 3 times today.