Monthly Archives: December 2019

Listserv Posts

Purple Finch and other University of Idaho birds

Eamon Harrity, Lukas Grossfurthner, and I thoroughly covered the University of Idaho campus for today’s Moscow-Pullman CBC.  Despite snow showers and dense fog for much of the day, we had pretty good luck.  Our best bird was a female PURPLE FINCH in the UI Arboretum (pictures on ebird:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S62295686 and (better) by Kas Dumroese, also on eBird).  We returned to the Arboretum at the end of the day and had great views of the continuing immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK and two Merlins.  Other highlights included one EVENING GROSBEAK, 11 WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS at 2 locations (rare in winter on the Palouse), 3 day-roosting Great-horned Owls, and 8 BREWERS’S BLACKBIRDS.  The full eBird day list from our territory is below.  Sounds like it should be a good count with many rare species, lots of water birds afforded by the open water, and also some interesting misses.

Good Birding,
Carl Lundblad
Moscow, ID

eBird Checklist Summary for: Dec 14, 2019

Number of Checklists: 13
Number of Taxa: 41

Checklists included in this summary:
(1): University of Idaho Arboretum and Botanical Gardens
Date: Dec 14, 2019 at 3:10 PM
(2): Moscow- U.S. 95 south of downtown
Date: Dec 14, 2019 at 10:06 AM
(3): University of Idaho—White Pine Seed Farm
Date: Dec 14, 2019 at 12:41 PM
(4): University of Idaho Shattuck (“old”) Arboretum
Date: Dec 14, 2019 at 11:49 AM
(5): University of Idaho Arboretum and Botanical Gardens
Date: Dec 14, 2019 at 7:31 AM
(6): University of Idaho Main Campus
Date: Dec 14, 2019 at 1:40 PM
(7): University of Idaho Apartments
Date: Dec 14, 2019 at 2:58 PM
(8): Sand Rd. Wetlands
Date: Dec 14, 2019 at 9:42 AM
(9): University of Idaho Arboretum and Botanical Gardens
Date: Dec 14, 2019 at 12:11 PM
(10): West Palouse River Drive
Date: Dec 14, 2019 at 7:11 AM
(11): University of Idaho Cattle & Horse Barns
Date: Dec 14, 2019 at 1:30 PM
(12): University of Idaho Golf Course
Date: Dec 14, 2019 at 10:18 AM
(13): University of Idaho Cattle & Horse Barns
Date: Dec 14, 2019 at 12:22 PM

27 California Quail — (5),(12)
7 Ring-necked Pheasant — (8),(10),(13)
262 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) — (6),(13)
49 Eurasian Collared-Dove — (3),(11),(13)
2 Great Blue Heron — (5)
1 Cooper’s Hawk — (2)
1 Northern Goshawk — (1)
1 Accipiter sp. — (5)
7 Red-tailed Hawk — (1),(3),(6),(10),(12),(13)
3 Great Horned Owl — (3),(12)
1 Belted Kingfisher — (1)
1 Downy Woodpecker — (1)
13 Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) — (3),(5),(6),(12)
2 American Kestrel — (3),(11)
2 Merlin — (1)
1 diurnal raptor sp. — (6)
20 Black-billed Magpie — (1),(3),(8),(12),(13)
2 American Crow — (6)
2 Common Raven — (6)
19 Black-capped Chickadee — (1),(5),(6),(10),(12)
13 Golden-crowned Kinglet — (3),(5)
5 Red-breasted Nuthatch — (3),(5),(12)
1 Brown Creeper — (4)
387 European Starling — (3),(5),(12),(13)
4 Townsend’s Solitaire — (5),(6)
218 American Robin — (1),(4),(5),(6),(7),(12),(13)
54 Cedar Waxwing — (5),(6)
3 House Sparrow — (6)
1 Evening Grosbeak — (5)
52 House Finch — (1),(3),(4),(5),(6),(7),(12)
1 Purple Finch — (5)
1 Lesser Goldfinch — (13)
4 finch sp. — (5)
1 Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored/cismontanus) — (12)
1 Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) — (5)
1 Dark-eyed Junco (cismontanus) — (5)
114 Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) — (1),(3),(5),(6),(10),(12)
12 White-crowned Sparrow (Gambel’s) — (3),(13)
17 Song Sparrow — (1),(6),(8),(10),(12),(13)
1 Spotted Towhee — (1)
7 Brewer’s Blackbird — (3)

Listserv Posts

Re: Boise CBC preliminary results – a new species record!

I could add a few more to your Boise count for today (Sat. Dec. 14): 21 Mourning Dove, 1 Cooper’s Hawk, 25 House Finches, 7 Lesser Goldfinch, 1 American Goldfinch, and 1 female Anna’s Hummingbird (all in my backyard on 6th and O”Farrell, if that would help! Also, I saw a Say’s Phoebe at Riverstone International School this afternoon.

Congratulations all on the Count. 

Listserv Posts

Boise CBC preliminary results – a new species record!

Howdy folks
Quick report after the evening tally – we had a record turnout (guessing it was over 60 participants), including a record amount of effort along the northeastern portion of the count circle in the Boise Foothills, and a great pizza feast afterwards.  Before the big reveal, I will say that our group noticed a lower # of songbirds in several places and I heard comments from several other territories – hopefully just a different winter but ???
With several rarities having been seen over the last week, I had high hopes … and, even though we missed a few species, we had a great turnout with 108 species (!!; includes 5 species never previously counted on the Boise CBC) on count day plus 3 count week species that were missed today but had been seen since Dec 11.  This sets a new record for the Boise count – and we still have 3 days to add some count week birds. 
Some highlights:
  • count firsts:
    • Ruffed Grouse (along Boise Ridge)
    • Pileated Woodpecker (along slope N of Lucky Peak)
    • Ovenbird (now here for 6 weeks)
    • Common Yellowthroat (found a few days ago)
    • Bushtit (Peggy’s Trail – was a count week species in same area in 2018)
  • other fun species:
    • Pine Grosbeak (Boise Ridge)
    • Evening Grosbeak (3 different areas, first time in years)
    • Northern Mockingbird (2nd time on Boise CBC)
    • American Tree & Lincoln’s Sparrows
    • Barred and Northern Pygmy-owls
    • Say’s Phoebe
  • Count week species missed today
    • Brant
    • Greater Scaup
    • Swamp Sparrow
Count week species we still “need”:
  • Ring-necked Pheasant
  • Northern Pintail
  • Ruddy Duck
  • Gray Partridge
  • Rough-legged Hawk
  • Barn Owl
  • Red-naped Sapsucker
  • Prairie Falcon
  • Blue Jay
  • American Dipper
  • American Pipit
  • Orange-crowned Warbler
Thanks again everyone!!
Jay
Listserv Posts

eBird Trip Summary — Today

I love how the eBird app summarizes my day for the Boise CBC!
j.talbot
eBird Checklist Summary for: Dec 14, 2019

Number of Checklists: 5
Number of Taxa: 64

Checklists included in this summary:
(1): CBC Area 9 Neighborhoods
Date: Dec 14, 2019 at 11:46 AM
(2): Peggy’s Trail
Date: Dec 14, 2019 at 12:30 PM
(3): Boise River Greenbelt at Garden City West Bridge
Date: Dec 14, 2019 at 8:26 AM
(4): Sage Glenn Culdesac (Pierce Park Ln)
Date: Dec 14, 2019 at 4:35 PM
(5): Dry Creek Cemetery
Date: Dec 14, 2019 at 5:02 PM

1 Snow Goose — (3)
264 Canada Goose — (1),(2),(3)
15 Wood Duck — (1),(3)
1 Northern Shoveler — (3)
8 Gadwall — (3)
8 American Wigeon — (1),(3)
150 Mallard — (1),(3)
13 Green-winged Teal — (3)
1 Redhead — (3)
8 Ring-necked Duck — (1),(3)
11 Bufflehead — (3)
17 Common Goldeneye — (1),(3)
1 Barrow’s Goldeneye — (3)
14 Hooded Merganser — (3)
13 Common Merganser — (3)
154 California Quail — (2),(3),(4)
19 Wild Turkey — (4)
3 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) — (3)
17 Mourning Dove — (1),(3)
2 American Coot — (3)
2 Ring-billed Gull — (3)
40 gull sp. — (3)
4 Double-crested Cormorant — (3)
3 Great Blue Heron — (3)
1 Golden Eagle — (2)
2 Sharp-shinned Hawk — (2),(3)
2 Cooper’s Hawk — (2),(3)
3 Bald Eagle — (3)
4 Red-tailed Hawk — (2),(3)
2 Western Screech-Owl — (5)
1 Great Horned Owl — (5)
6 Belted Kingfisher — (3)
7 Downy Woodpecker — (1),(2),(3)
1 Hairy Woodpecker — (3)
8 Northern Flicker — (1),(2),(3)
4 American Kestrel — (2),(3)
1 Merlin — (5)
30 Black-billed Magpie — (1),(2),(3)
70 American Crow — (1),(3)
6 Common Raven — (2),(3)
30 Black-capped Chickadee — (1),(2),(3)
1 Horned Lark — (2)
2 Bushtit — (2)
1 Golden-crowned Kinglet — (2)
11 Ruby-crowned Kinglet — (1),(2),(3)
4 Red-breasted Nuthatch — (1),(3)
2 White-breasted Nuthatch — (3)
1 Brown Creeper — (3)
1 Canyon Wren — (2)
6 Bewick’s Wren — (3)
30 European Starling — (3)
4 Townsend’s Solitaire — (1),(2)
2 American Robin — (3)
7 Cedar Waxwing — (3)
7 Evening Grosbeak — (2),(3)
9 House Finch — (1),(3)
11 Lesser Goldfinch — (1),(3)
20 American Goldfinch — (2),(3)
35 Dark-eyed Junco — (1),(2),(3)
7 White-crowned Sparrow — (3)
13 Song Sparrow — (1),(3)
1 Western Meadowlark — (2)
400 Red-winged Blackbird — (3)
1 Yellow-rumped Warbler — (3)

This trip summary was created using the eBird app for iPhone and iPad.
See eBird for more information.

Listserv Posts

Boise CBC count week birds

Myself and others have seen the following birds for count week so far. These birds were found and relocated by several different individuals that I won’t take time to mention.  I wanted to make people aware for count day on Saturday with the knowledge that I have. My eBird checklists include details for the rarities that I’ve seen.
Hyatt Hidden Lakes – Swamp Sparrow, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Redhead, Spotted Towhee, Red Crossbill (flyover). Also seen recently: Lincoln’s Sparrow & Marsh Wren
Five Mile & Victory Wetland – Varied Thrush, Townsend’s Solitaire
Dry Creek Cemetery – Seen recently – Anna’s Hummingbird (listen for it in the morning at the southeast entrance off Hill Rd). Townsend’s Solitaire
Dallas Hall Memorial Pathway – Swamp Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow, Common Yellowthroat, Bewick’s Wren
Idaho Shakespeare Festival Grounds – Barred Owl, Bewick’s Wren (we may not need to mention Bewick’s Wren anymore – I see them everywhere in Boise now)
Hulls Gulch – Seen recently – Northern Goshawk, Hermit Thrush, Townsend’s Solitaire
Esther Simplot Park & vicinity – Brant
I’ve also noticed a couple Say’s Phoebe’s and White-breasted Nuthatches in the valley recently.
Good luck and Happy Birding!
Jason
Listserv Posts

Whoa, Barred Owl in Yolo!

another adventure, far and away, not long ago……..


LA


 

Barred Owl (Strix varia) (1)

– Reported Dec 11, 2019 16:00 by Emmett Iverson

– Barred Owl, Davis (General Location, not exact address), Yolo, California

– Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=38.53856,-121.703461&ll=38.53856,-121.703461

– Checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S62238079

– Media: 2 Photos

– Comments: “Our story starts with step-brother-of-emmett Gregory’s casual flipping through of Instagram and spotting of a post by emmett’s-sister’s-mother-in-law of an owl roosting in her barn in Davis. A simple text of the photo to Emmett was followed by some frantic phone calls, a smidge of ID second-guessing, and a mad dash to south Davis, where Emmett and Gregory met Holly and Zane. We had just been granted permission to poke around the barn (after another half dozen phone calls to various family members), and within a short while we spotted it still roosting in the same location. We had yet to get a chance to chat with the homeowners about extending access, but managed to get Bart on the bird shortly before it flew out for the evening and perched on a nearby eucalyptus (where it both spat out a pellet and curiously watched some scrub-jays and known rat stomping grounds). We finally got to chat with the homeowners, who were delighted to have such a rare bird show up on their property, and happily invited Emmett to return with a group in the morning (visit being arranged for tomorrow AM only as of this time—feel free to contact Emmett at email listed on his ebird profile. If bird continues, we may be able to arrange more visits.). Pin was dropped not at the actual address of bird so as to protect the privacy of the homeowners.”