Appears the Blue Jay has moved on, last saw it 3/23. Also, last sightings of Pine Siskins & Mt Chickadee were this past week.
Did see a Townsend’s Solitaire this AM. Sandhill Cranes still coming overhead in singles & doubles. When I walk down to the Snake to cast a fly, also bringing my binocs. Yest, saw 2 adult Bald Eagles & 1 ea of a 2 y/o & 3 y/o. A pr of Hooded Mergansers, Green-winged Teal & Wood Ducks, as well. Numerous Common Goldeneyes & Common Mergansers. Canada Geese are paired up & found one nesting about 15′ high on top of an old Magpie nest in a cottonwood. Great-Horned Owls are calling every night & should have owlets by now.
We still have 30+ inches of snow here in lsland Park, but in the last couple of day s the Bluebirds have arrived here in Last chance, Yesterday made trip to check the Sage Grouse leks north of the Sand dunes. No birds were present yet Still 6” of snow on the leks. Found 2 Sand hill cranes along the St Anthony to Del Rio Bridge rd jus west of the Lawson residence, Today west of Ashton I saw first Turkey vulture near Vernon Bridge. Good indications the Spring may get here yet.
Today’s treat was a Red-naped Sapsucker at the Willow Lane Athletic Complex. The bird was in the pine trees along the first soccer field, a set of trees that have hosted sapsuckers previously. Susan and I got great views, but I couldn’t find the bird on my way back.
Also found today were the “usual suspects” of Downy Woodpecker and Northern Flicker. Less usual was a Hairy Woodpecker near Silver Lake. The greenbelt here skirts some houses, with a good buffer of trees between the path and the river. There’s a nice variety of birds here because some of the folks who live there have feeders. I’ve been hearing a Hairy Woodpecker in the vicinity, but today’s the first time I’ve seen him.
Thank you again for your posts which are informative and entertaining. I appreciate your enthusiasm for biking and birding. If I lived right along the greenbelt, I’d likely be doing the same. It’s a little more of an effort for me to ride downhill to the pathway, and it’s uphill all the way home.
Reporting from Tucson, the Great Horned Owls are now both doing their evening hunts. Two sunsets ago as I was walking, I noticed the female sitting higher on the nest area and saw two young tussling below her in the cavity. The male began calling, then flew to the nest for a few minutes before flying off low over my head. Shortly afterwards, the female flew to a nearby palm, scratched and preened a bit, then also took off for the evening hunt. One young was standing as best it could weaving its head around to try to figure out what it was seeing. The other owlet is less developed, and I think not able to stand yet. I’ll be watching again this evening.
Diann Stone Boise Depot Bench
“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.” John Muir
Yesterday I was rolling through Esther Simplot Park, on my way home again, when I heard a repeated squeaking sound. Thinking it was my shoe on my pedal crank, I stopped pedaling but the sound continued. I circled around and found a Western Meadowlark sitting on a rock at the vehicle turnaround closest to the river. I cannot remember ever having found a WEME in that vicinity before. (It was not there or nearby today.)
Then today I saw a white bird floating on Veteran’s Pond, and it turned out to be a Snow Goose. My second this week, but then I found my third of the week at Silver Lake. Since the first bird was still at Veterans when I got back, I assume one bird did not fly ahead of me to Silver Lake and then back to Veterans. (I assume.)
BTW, today’s ride started with a Crow chasing a Kestrel around our neighborhood. Not sure if they were playing or serious.
This morning I noticed one of our dogs looking intently out the back door. He usually barks at animals so I went to check what he was looking at and there was a pair of Ravens picking up dog hair I threw out the door a couple days ago. One of the pair worked it into a consolidated wad and the both flew off with their prize. I’ve had small birds pick up the hair we leave for them but I didn’t expect to see a raven using it. Live and learn…
Cliff
— Cliff and Lisa Weisse Island Park, Idaho @cliffweisse
As of today, no juncos – oregon or otherwise – at the feeders. Seems to coincide with magnolias blooming here in Gem County. Lots of red-wing blackbirds stacking up in the trees – waiting for the canal to fill.
Liz Medes Emmett
Home of Idaho Birding and the Idaho Bird Records Committee
