I just saw my FOY Turkey Vulture here in Teton Valley cruising along the northeast end of the Big Hole Range.
Also today observed 3 Sandhill Cranes dancing east of the Teton River. Snow is disappearing quickly here in the valley, and Western Meadowlarks and American Robins are everywhere.
And right on schedule some ground squirrels popped out. I always see them first on April 1, no joking!
Happy Fools Day,
Susan, Tetonia
I went back down to Swan Lake Slough and Oxford Slough Saturday. There
were about 17 tundras and 14 trumpeter swans at Swan Lake Slough. Better
than last week, but still not the hundreds that I have seen in early spring
here in other years. 130 canvasbacks here was a good number.
The number of pintail was way down from 750+ at Oxford last week to 150+
this week. But, I have been birding the upper reaches of the slough, which
is private land, from the side of Oxford and Coulam Roads in Bannock
County, not Oxford Slough Waterfowl Production Area in Franklin County.
The WPA was mostly frozen last week and I understand it has opened up
significantly since. So the pinnies might have moved over there. There
were still good numbers of green-winged teal and American wigeon, a few
more northern shovelers and sandhill cranes, and a slight uptick in
cinnamon teal. I found 4 American avocets and 4 long-billed curlews here,
the latter including birds in undulating courtship/territorial display. I
also saw my FOY Franklin’s gull. The pastures and playas are fully flooded
along these roads and I’m hoping others visit later in the spring during
shorebird migration especially.
I hit Fort Hall Mine Landfill on the way home. The number of gulls was
truly impressive. They were tough to count, but I estimated at least 3500
California gulls, less than 10 of which were non-adults. There was about
the usual number of herring gulls (14) but ring-billed gulls were way down
– only about 50. I was able to pick out 1 immature Iceland (Thayer’s)
gull. I hope other birders check out this site and are more successful at
gleaning out rarities than I have been. Birders are allowed, just stop at
the drive-up check station.
My wife and I conducted the ID-40 short-eared owl survey north of Minidoka
National Wildlife Refuge Saturday evening. The wind was very calm and skies
were mostly clear. I did this route 2 years ago and found 1 shortear on
each of the 2 survey windows, but was skunked this year. We did find
long-billed curlews at at least 3 stops, including a bird in flight display
at one stop. Large flocks of snow geese headed north at sunset made me
think they were migrating out. But I got word of large numbers of snows
still at Minidoka NWR this morning.
Steven F. Kahl
Deputy Project Leader
Southeast Idaho National Wildlife Refuge Complex
4425 Burley Dr., Ste. A
Chubbuck, ID 83202
C (208) 252-0805
P (208) 237-6615 ext 112
F (208) 237-8213
*Like and follow us on Facebook
Not at this time. It has been proposed to have a permit system but that was objected to by both hunters and birders etc. with both being a bit paranoid in their reasons. Unfortunately many things are misunderstood on both sides of the equation. For example: I know of no instance of IDFG using data of numbers of licenses purchased as proof that they should keep any area open for hunting. There is no way of tracking who uses what WMA and through hunting and fishing licenses. The licenses do have any connection to any WMA or other location when you purchase them. You could be confusing the WMA hunting permit for hunting pen raised pheasants. That permit is only required for that particular activity and not all WMA’s release pen raised pheasants and hence require a permit to hunt them.
By the way just so you know I have no problem with hunting ethically. I quit hunting because I do not shoot what I am not going to eat and I now live in sr. living comlex where we are cooked for 3 times a day every day 🙂 I have more problem with factory farming animals and converting grasslands to cornfields full of GMO round up ready corn to feed them and killing off the “weeds” that pollinators need.
> On Apr 1, 2019, at 7:57 AM, Kim Liebich birdkimliebich@gmail.com [ible]
>
> Curious thought… is there a way to support these area w/o purchasing a hunting license? I would be giddy to fund these areas. I know at times though they use the data of numbers of licensed purchased as proof that they should keep the area open for hunting or that people want to hunt for those creatures. I just want to enjoy being on the land and have it taken care of.
>
> =) kim, boise
>
>>
>>
>> Also some areas not other wise covered are declared closed to hunting but are supposed to be signed and usually are. I know many people who think there is no hunting on State Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) which is seldom the case with the exception of seasonal or safety zone exclusions. The WMA’s are funded almost entirely by hunting and fishing licenses and permit revenues. The is a lot of other public land and conservation projects that are funded by hunting and fishing equipment sales taxes and by hunting and fishing license fees. One of the reasons that even though I no longer hunt with a firearm only with a camera I will continue to buy an Idaho Hunting License, Sage Grouse Permit, Duck Stamp etc..
>> On any of those portions of federal refuges, State game preserves, State Wildlife Management Areas, bird preserves, bird refuges, and bird sanctuaries for which hunting closures have been declared by legislative or Commission action.
>>
>>
>>> On Mar 31, 2019, at 5:51 PM, LARRY ARNOLD larnold47@cableone.net
>>>
>>>
>>> Chris, great question!!
>>>
>>> Maybe this is my chance to chime in (finally)…..
>>>
>>> Every year since we’ve been here (6 yrs) there have been hunters blasting away along the Boise River Greenbelt, and this year I was lucky enough to have shotgun shot landing all around me LITERALLY like hailstones. Nobody seems to know who’s jurisdiction this is (Boise? Garden City? Eagle? Ada County?), so is to enforce any “laws” (if there are any) until people, kids, dogs, geezers like me, are actually wounded by these careless idiots.
>>>
>>> Sigh….. what gives? who ya gonna call? I’ve tried them all (several times).
>>>
>>> LA
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> From: “Chris Slymon boise753am@gmail.com
>>> To: “IBLE”
>>> Sent: Sunday, March 31, 2019 2:07:52 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [IBLE] Indian Creek Reservoir
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I was at Indian Creek yesterday too and there was someone shooting about 2-300 yds to the right of the bathroom. Is that allowed?
>>>
>>> Chris
>>>
>>> On 3/31/2019 11:08 AM, John Shortis john_shortis@yahoo.com
>>>
>>> Hi fellow birders,
>>>
>>> Amy and I spent about 1.5 hours at Indian Creek Reservoir yesterday. The usual mix of duck species though we found no Pintails or any Teal species.. No Swans or Pelicans. But we stumbled upon a single Long-eared Owl, which was moving around the little canyon, v close to us at first before it quickly moved away. Chestnut wing patches on fairly broad, not too long wings visible. The bird seemed unsettled by our presence, before it finally flew away, hope it is still around; we tried to be careful.
>>> Also found an American Pipit on the shoreline with two Killdeers just below the dyke.
>>>
>>> Amy Bechtel & John Shortis
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Ken Miracle
>> chukar28@icloud.com
>> 208-908-9493
>> “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” 2COR 3:5
>>
>>
>
>
>
Ken Miracle
chukar28@icloud.com
208-908-9493
“Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” 2COR 3:5
Curious thought… is there a way to support these area w/o purchasing a hunting license? I would be giddy to fund these areas. I know at times though they use the data of numbers of licensed purchased as proof that they should keep the area open for hunting or that people want to hunt for those creatures. I just want to enjoy being on the land and have it taken care of.
=) kim, boise
>
>
> Also some areas not other wise covered are declared closed to hunting but are supposed to be signed and usually are. I know many people who think there is no hunting on State Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) which is seldom the case with the exception of seasonal or safety zone exclusions. The WMA’s are funded almost entirely by hunting and fishing licenses and permit revenues. The is a lot of other public land and conservation projects that are funded by hunting and fishing equipment sales taxes and by hunting and fishing license fees. One of the reasons that even though I no longer hunt with a firearm only with a camera I will continue to buy an Idaho Hunting License, Sage Grouse Permit, Duck Stamp etc..
> On any of those portions of federal refuges, State game preserves, State Wildlife Management Areas, bird preserves, bird refuges, and bird sanctuaries for which hunting closures have been declared by legislative or Commission action.
>
>
>> On Mar 31, 2019, at 5:51 PM, LARRY ARNOLD larnold47@cableone.net
>>
>>
>> Chris, great question!!
>>
>> Maybe this is my chance to chime in (finally)…..
>>
>> Every year since we’ve been here (6 yrs) there have been hunters blasting away along the Boise River Greenbelt, and this year I was lucky enough to have shotgun shot landing all around me LITERALLY like hailstones. Nobody seems to know who’s jurisdiction this is (Boise? Garden City? Eagle? Ada County?), so is to enforce any “laws” (if there are any) until people, kids, dogs, geezers like me, are actually wounded by these careless idiots.
>>
>> Sigh….. what gives? who ya gonna call? I’ve tried them all (several times).
>>
>> LA
>>
>>
>>
>> From: “Chris Slymon boise753am@gmail.com
>> To: “IBLE”
>> Sent: Sunday, March 31, 2019 2:07:52 PM
>> Subject: Re: [IBLE] Indian Creek Reservoir
>>
>>
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I was at Indian Creek yesterday too and there was someone shooting about 2-300 yds to the right of the bathroom. Is that allowed?
>>
>> Chris
>>
>> On 3/31/2019 11:08 AM, John Shortis john_shortis@yahoo.com
>>
>> Hi fellow birders,
>>
>> Amy and I spent about 1.5 hours at Indian Creek Reservoir yesterday. The usual mix of duck species though we found no Pintails or any Teal species. No Swans or Pelicans. But we stumbled upon a single Long-eared Owl, which was moving around the little canyon, v close to us at first before it quickly moved away. Chestnut wing patches on fairly broad, not too long wings visible. The bird seemed unsettled by our presence, before it finally flew away, hope it is still around; we tried to be careful.
>> Also found an American Pipit on the shoreline with two Killdeers just below the dyke.
>>
>> Amy Bechtel & John Shortis
>>
>>
>>
>
> Ken Miracle
> chukar28@icloud.com
> 208-908-9493
> “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” 2COR 3:5
>
>
>