Yesterday wilsonsprings saw wood ducks in tree eating these red orbs has
any one seen this action .today lake Lowell cove off orchard saw foy mmmfor
me red head duck

Hey folks, currently looking at a first-winter Black Scoter just off of
highway 30 bridge near hagerman.
I attached a google maps picture of location and decent digiscoped image.

Austin Young
Twin Falls

—
Austin Young
Twin Falls, ID
austinyoung224@gmail.com

Oh, and two sets of hunters with decoys kept the waterfowl away. I watched as ducks flew over and then I would hear the shots ring out. They couldn’t hit a thing. Hehe
On Monday, November 20, 2017, 7:40:10 AM MST, Jason Talbot jason.talbot1@yahoo.com [ible] wrote:

Possible tip for finding the LeConte’s Sparrow. 
After texting with Mary Rumple last night (who saw the bird where I did), this is what I’d try if I were going back today to try to find that extremely skulky bird. Same coordinates where Jay reported it.
I got brief looks at it a few yards west of the stile (ladder over fence at bottom of hill) along the road on south side in the reeds. On the south side between the road and pond is a dike with a path. When I first arrived at 7:30am yesterday, I noticed a small bird that I had a hunch was the LeConte’s dive into the reeds between the dike and road near the stile from reeds near the dike. There were also 2 Song Sparrows hanging out there.
When I walked up on the dike a little later I saw a bird foraging on the ground (just as you get on the dike from the stile) dart into the reeds. Again I had a hunch that could be it. I waited patiently in that area near the stile occasionally walking west down the road 50 yards and then come back and hang at that spot. Hunters with dogs passed along the dike path probably flushing the bird twice before I finally got a brief visual near the road 50 minutes later. I walked up on the dike another time and the same bird was foraging on the ground but dove into the reeds. Mary told me this is where she saw the bird later. I never heard it vocalize. I waited for an hour to get better looks but to no avail.
If I were to go back I’d be real quiet and glass the path on the dike from a distance above the stile. I have a hunch that it was foraging tight along the weeds on the path within feet of getting on the dike. 
As I was leaving, I was also told there were 2 Dunlin on one of the islands (I think from the viewing area before dropping down the hill) but I didn’t have time to look for them. I also heard a Sora call when I first arrived and several Virginia Rails.
Good luck! 
Jason
 

On Saturday, November 18, 2017, 12:24:43 PM MST, Stoddard Davenport s_g_davenport@hotmail.com [ible] wrote:

The bird is still present, Jay’s coordinates are pretty much right on for where Ellen and I were able to re-find it. Thought there’d be a crowd here but maybe most that would have chased it were already here with the field trip.
Good birding!Stoddard and Ellen DavenportBoise

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

——– Original message ——–From: “Jay Carlisle carlislejay@yahoo.com [ible]” Date: 11/18/17 10:56 AM (GMT-07:00) To: Jay Carlisle Cc: ible@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [IBLE] Le Conte’s Sparrow @ Ted Trueblood WMA (Grand View)
 

Approximate coordinates according to my phone: 43.0121 -116.1110

Sent from my iPhone
On Nov 18, 2017, at 10:52 AM, Jay Carlisle carlislejay@yahoo.com [ible] wrote:

 
Bryce just found on Audubon field trip along dirt road E of pond, ~1/2 way between wooden fence crossover & 2 trees on either side of road. Seen very well by many … still trying for a pic.

Jay

Sent from my iPhone

Possible tip for finding the LeConte’s Sparrow. 
After texting with Mary Rumple last night (who saw the bird where I did), this is what I’d try if I were going back today to try to find that extremely skulky bird. Same coordinates where Jay reported it.
I got brief looks at it a few yards west of the stile (ladder over fence at bottom of hill) along the road on south side in the reeds. On the south side between the road and pond is a dike with a path. When I first arrived at 7:30am yesterday, I noticed a small bird that I had a hunch was the LeConte’s dive into the reeds between the dike and road near the stile from reeds near the dike. There were also 2 Song Sparrows hanging out there.
When I walked up on the dike a little later I saw a bird foraging on the ground (just as you get on the dike from the stile) dart into the reeds. Again I had a hunch that could be it. I waited patiently in that area near the stile occasionally walking west down the road 50 yards and then come back and hang at that spot. Hunters with dogs passed along the dike path probably flushing the bird twice before I finally got a brief visual near the road 50 minutes later. I walked up on the dike another time and the same bird was foraging on the ground but dove into the reeds. Mary told me this is where she saw the bird later. I never heard it vocalize. I waited for an hour to get better looks but to no avail.
If I were to go back I’d be real quiet and glass the path on the dike from a distance above the stile. I have a hunch that it was foraging tight along the weeds on the path within feet of getting on the dike. 
As I was leaving, I was also told there were 2 Dunlin on one of the islands (I think from the viewing area before dropping down the hill) but I didn’t have time to look for them. I also heard a Sora call when I first arrived and several Virginia Rails.
Good luck! 
Jason
 

On Saturday, November 18, 2017, 12:24:43 PM MST, Stoddard Davenport s_g_davenport@hotmail.com [ible] wrote:

The bird is still present, Jay’s coordinates are pretty much right on for where Ellen and I were able to re-find it. Thought there’d be a crowd here but maybe most that would have chased it were already here with the field trip.
Good birding!Stoddard and Ellen DavenportBoise

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

——– Original message ——–From: “Jay Carlisle carlislejay@yahoo.com [ible]” Date: 11/18/17 10:56 AM (GMT-07:00) To: Jay Carlisle Cc: ible@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [IBLE] Le Conte’s Sparrow @ Ted Trueblood WMA (Grand View)
 

Approximate coordinates according to my phone: 43.0121 -116.1110

Sent from my iPhone
On Nov 18, 2017, at 10:52 AM, Jay Carlisle carlislejay@yahoo.com [ible] wrote:

 
Bryce just found on Audubon field trip along dirt road E of pond, ~1/2 way between wooden fence crossover & 2 trees on either side of road. Seen very well by many … still trying for a pic.

Jay

Sent from my iPhone

The bird is still present, Jay’s coordinates are pretty much right on for where Ellen and I were able to re-find it. Thought there’d be a crowd here but maybe most that would have chased it were already here with the field trip.

Good birding!
Stoddard and Ellen Davenport
Boise

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

——– Original message ——–
From: “Jay Carlisle carlislejay@yahoo.com [ible]”
Date: 11/18/17 10:56 AM (GMT-07:00)
To: Jay Carlisle
Cc: ible@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [IBLE] Le Conte’s Sparrow @ Ted Trueblood WMA (Grand View)

Approximate coordinates according to my phone: 43.0121 -116.1110

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 18, 2017, at 10:52 AM, Jay Carlisle carlislejay@yahoo.com [ible] > wrote:

Bryce just found on Audubon field trip along dirt road E of pond, ~1/2 way between wooden fence crossover & 2 trees on either side of road. Seen very well by many … still trying for a pic.

Jay

Sent from my iPhone

Any one from nampa Boise area going today share a ride Bob k.

Spent a few hrs at EFNA this cold but bright morning. A parade of gulls
travels down the Portneuf Valley every morning to Fort Hall Mine Landfill.
EFNA is in this valley and I counted 500+ ring-billeds and 300+
Californias. Going through them, bird by bird, I was able to pick out an
adult lesser black-backed and 5 herrings.

The pond had 5 redhead and 1 canvasback. They have been feeding on
submerged aquatic vegetation here for about 2 weeks. An immature bald eagle
flew by low over the pond but neither the eagle nor ducks seemed interested
about each other.

A flock of 7 evening grosbeaks flew over, as did a separate flock of 16 red
crossbills. I was able to find a lone American tree sparrow hanging around
the edge of a flock of 13 Oregon juncos. This is my second find this month
of ATSP after going a year without seeing one in the county. Maybe it will
be a bigger winter for this species?

An adult male kestrel flew by close carrying a mouse or vole. I was able to
watch an adult Cooper’s hawk in a tail chase with a Eurasion collared-dove
high in open sky. Surprisingly the Coop’s was closing in. I didn’t get to
see the outcome though as trees obscured the view.

What a great way to spend a Saturday morning!

Sent from my iPhone

Approximate coordinates according to my phone: 43.0121 -116.1110

Sent from my iPhone

> On Nov 18, 2017, at 10:52 AM, Jay Carlisle carlislejay@yahoo.com [ible] wrote:
>
> Bryce just found on Audubon field trip along dirt road E of pond, ~1/2 way between wooden fence crossover & 2 trees on either side of road. Seen very well by many … still trying for a pic.
>
> Jay
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>

Bryce just found on Audubon field trip along dirt road E of pond, ~1/2 way between wooden fence crossover & 2 trees on either side of road. Seen very well by many … still trying for a pic.

Jay

Sent from my iPhone

Still getting Evening Grosbeaks & RB Nuthatches coming into the black-oil sunflower seeds. Fun to see them.

Glad to read Cliff’s report of both Blue Jay & Pine Grosbeaks, too. Pine is the last winter irruption bird I need for my yard list. So, keeping my fingers crossed. Based on some of the IBLE reports & info from Ontario, Canada, it is definitely a winter finch irruption year.

Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot