Nathan Palmer of Moscow found a RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER in central Moscow on
Wednesday afternoon. I easily relocated it near the intersection of Polk
and B Street, this morning. The face pattern and apparent lack of black on
the breast look good for a “pure” individual. I believe this is a third
record for Latah County, and a statewide review species. Thanks to Nathan
for the great find.
Carl Lundblad
Moscow, Idaho
Interesting note about your collared doves, Steve.
They’re still increasing in number in our hood, west Boise.
2600 ft elevation here…
Larry
From: “Steve Kahl Steve_Kahl@fws.gov [ible]”
To: “IBLE”
Sent: Monday, February 25, 2019 9:29:32 AM
Subject: [IBLE] Subtle changes- Pocatello
The influx of pine siskins reported in the Blackfoot area has been
occurring around Pocatello the past couple weeks. I had been seeing
6-12 siskins at my feeders all winter. Now there are usually 60-80,
with a high count of 130!
I started out the winter with a song sparrow, spotted towhee and a
Harris’s sparrow visiting my feeders but they petered out by mid
January. Although I have some good brush on the slope behind my yard.
I figured the birds left because the brush wasn’t thick enough for the
coldest parts of winter and there wasn’t good enough water for them…
Lo and behold all three were beneath my feeders at the same time this
morning. The Harris’s sparrow (an immature) had quite a bit more black
on its face than the last time I saw it.
Paramyxovirus seems to have swept through the Eurasian collared doves
in my neighborhood. The neighbor down the street used to strew buckets
of mixed seed on the ground for them. Consequently, during my backyard
bird counts I would often count 30-50 collared doves in the big
cottonwoods near their yard. I thought it not a good sign when I
started seeing birds that acted more lethargic. Now I only see 1 or 2
collared doves at most.
Sent from my iPhone
The influx of pine siskins reported in the Blackfoot area has been
occurring around Pocatello the past couple weeks. I had been seeing
6-12 siskins at my feeders all winter. Now there are usually 60-80,
with a high count of 130!
I started out the winter with a song sparrow, spotted towhee and a
Harris’s sparrow visiting my feeders but they petered out by mid
January. Although I have some good brush on the slope behind my yard.
I figured the birds left because the brush wasn’t thick enough for the
coldest parts of winter and there wasn’t good enough water for them..
Lo and behold all three were beneath my feeders at the same time this
morning. The Harris’s sparrow (an immature) had quite a bit more black
on its face than the last time I saw it.
Paramyxovirus seems to have swept through the Eurasian collared doves
in my neighborhood. The neighbor down the street used to strew buckets
of mixed seed on the ground for them. Consequently, during my backyard
bird counts I would often count 30-50 collared doves in the big
cottonwoods near their yard. I thought it not a good sign when I
started seeing birds that acted more lethargic. Now I only see 1 or 2
collared doves at most.
Sent from my iPhone
Tell them to come down to Idaho Falls.
MaDWhitham
It’s not the years in your life, it’s the life in your years!!!
On Feb 24, 2019, at 9:33 AM, Barbara Harp salmonrvr@yahoo.com [ible]
I have 300 to 400 black rosy finches here. I saw one gray crowned in the pack a couple of days ago, so that’s quite a ratio. Doing my best to keep them away from my nyjer feeders. They sure do chow down! I am just below Mackay Reservoir.
No juncos, no pine siskins, just RFs.
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPad
Barbara, we feel sooooo sorry for you!! 😉
Some of the ski areas in Colorado had this “problem” as well; surprised they didn’t get more birders than skiers.
Thx for sharing this awesome photo!
Larry
From: “Barbara Harp salmonrvr@yahoo.com [ible]”
To: “IBLE”
Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2019 9:33:49 AM
Subject: [IBLE] Black Rosy Finches…in Spades!
I have 300 to 400 black rosy finches here. I saw one gray crowned in the pack a couple of days ago, so that’s quite a ratio. Doing my best to keep them away from my nyjer feeders. They sure do chow down! I am just below Mackay Reservoir.
No juncos, no pine siskins, just RFs.
[ https://overview.mail.yahoo.com/?.src=iOS | Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPad ]
I have 300 to 400 black rosy finches here. I saw one gray crowned in the pack a couple of days ago, so that’s quite a ratio. Doing my best to keep them away from my nyjer feeders. They sure do chow down! I am just below Mackay Reservoir.
No juncos, no pine siskins, just RFs.
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPad
Curious to know if anyone else is seeing more Black Rosy-Finches than usual. Over the previous 20-25 winters we’ve recorded mixed flocks of Black and Grey-crowned RFs in C. Idaho having an average ratio of 1 Black to 40 G-c. Historic ratios form a classic bell-shaped curve with 1 s.d. ranging from 1:20 to 1:60.
This year we’re tallying slightly lower daily totals but the ratio of Black to G-c RF has greatly increased. During the past several days our high (at-one-time) counts show ratios of Black to G-c RF ranging between 1:2 and 1:5 with as many as 14 Black RF at one time. Is anyone else feeding and/or seeing more Black RF than usual?
Blue Jay still visiting. Seeing a subtle change in House Finches & Am Goldfinches with both getting a bit more color. And, the 2 Harris’ Sparrows are each getting more black coloration to throat area.
Pine Siskins are emptying the thistle feeder twice a day. A few more Am Robin’s appear each day, Townsend’s Solitaires still present & Red-winged Blackbird males are arriving. A noticable change from previous winters is a lack of DE Juncos. The most I see at one time is 5. Big difference from past years.
Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot
A Bird in Hand
By Tom McCabe
Whenever there’s lots of snow falling down,
That can sometimes cause me to frown.
Shoveling isn’t always easy
It frequently makes my back quite queasy.
But then I see my backyard friends
Consuming seed like it never ends.
They trust in me to get them through
Juncos and Siskins to name a few.
I shovel a path to my birdseed stash
And fill the feeders quick as a flash.
They don’t seem to mind my presence at all
So I grab a handful and move at a crawl.
Until I’m next to the shepherd’s crooks
With all the feeders on their hooks.
I very slowly hold out my hand
Hoping one of them will lightly land.
It takes a while, my arm gets tired
But then one lands, and I’m inspired.
He sits on my glove, just inches from my face
And snatches food ’til there’s not a trace
Then he flies away with a quick little flutter
And leaves my heart melting just like butter.
I walk away with birds all around me,
As once again they’ve made me happy.
That tiny little Siskin had no weight,
But he really added some spring to my gait.
As I took up my shovel and attacked the snow
There’s a smile on my face with every throw.
Sounds like we need to have whole corn kernels to lure that Blue Jay away from Brian, Patty!
We have more LEGOs than AMGOs, plus PISIs, HOFIs, HOSPs, BCCHs, and a few DEJUs at our feeders in IF.
Missed you at conformation practice Patty!
MaDWhitham
It’s not the years in your life, it’s the life in your years!!!
On Feb 17, 2019, at 11:20 AM, Patty GAILEY triadcorgis@msn.com [ible]
We have plenty of Pine Siskins to share. They are vying with the American Goldfinches and Lesser Goldfinches for a spot at the finch feeders. Surprisingly, the Legos outnumber everyone.
Far fewer juncos this year than ever before.
I wish Brian’s Blue Jay would wander a bit farther afield. Would love to see him here.
Patty Gailey
Blackfoot
(East of Blackfoot near the Blackfoot River)
Sent from Windows Mail