On Jul 17, 2020, at 8:07 AM, Carl Lundblad <carl.lundblad@…> wrote:

Tom et al.,

Good question.  Ada is one of the rare counties for which the eBird filter has been split into two: a low elevation filter and a high elevation filter for the Lucky Peak area and environs.  These Cliff Swallow reports are from the Ada High Elevation filter region, where mid-summer Cliff Swallows are flagged, unlike in the surrounding lowlands.  Conversely, the Western Tanager on the same alert would not have been flagged by the Ada High Elevation filter, but is flagged by the low elevation filter until a bit later in July, when southbound migrants become more abundant.

Hopefully these subdivided filters will become more widely-used in the future, but they require a lot of effort to develop.  Thanks to Lew Ulrey, Heidi Ware Carlisle, Jay Carlisle, and probably others (apologies to whomever I missed) for making this possible in Ada County.

Best,

Carl Lundblad

Moscow, ID

On Thu, Jul 16, 2020 at 10:19 PM bike4birds <tmccabe9@…> wrote:

I guess I’m wondering why this hits the rare bird alert. I see Cliff Swallows almost every day by going under the little underpass at Esther Simplot. They still seem to be tending to nests.
Tom

 

—– Forwarded Message —–
From: “ebird-alert” <ebird-alert@…>
Sent: Thursday, July 16, 2020 9:03:35 PM
Subject: [eBird Alert] Ada County Rare Bird Alert <daily>

*** Species Summary:

– Cliff Swallow (4 reports)
– Western Tanager (1 report)

———————————————
Thank you for subscribing to the <daily> Ada County Rare Bird Alert.The report below shows observations of rare birds in Ada County.  View or unsubscribe to this alert at https://ebird.org/alert/summary?sid=SN36228
NOTE: all sightings are UNCONFIRMED unless indicated.

eBird encourages our users to bird safely, responsibly, and mindfully. Please follow the recommendations of your local health authorities and respect any active travel restrictions in your area. For more information visit: https://ebird.org/news/please-bird-mindfully

Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) (2)
– Reported Jul 16, 2020 06:15 by Sam Meigs
– Intermountain Bird Observatory at Lucky Peak, Ada, Idaho
– Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=43.6056275,-116.0600716&ll=43.6056275,-116.0600716
– Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S71551230
– Comments: “Flyover migrants.”

Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) (2)
– Reported Jul 16, 2020 06:15 by Intermountain Bird Observatory
– Intermountain Bird Observatory at Lucky Peak, Ada, Idaho
– Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=43.6056275,-116.0600716&ll=43.6056275,-116.0600716
– Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S71552594
– Comments: “Flyover migrants.”

Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) (2)
– Reported Jul 16, 2020 06:15 by Kyle Lima
– Intermountain Bird Observatory at Lucky Peak, Ada, Idaho
– Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=43.6056275,-116.0600716&ll=43.6056275,-116.0600716
– Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S71550474
– Comments: “Flyover migrants.”

Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) (2)
– Reported Jul 16, 2020 06:15 by Serena Ross
– Intermountain Bird Observatory at Lucky Peak, Ada, Idaho
– Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=43.6056275,-116.0600716&ll=43.6056275,-116.0600716
– Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S71550475
– Comments: “Flyover migrants.”

Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) (1) CONFIRMED
– Reported Jul 12, 2020 08:50 by Christi Jarrett
– Blacks Creek Bird Reserve, Ada, Idaho
– Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=43.4584433,-116.1426544&ll=43.4584433,-116.1426544
– Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S71559859
– Comments: “yellow body, black wings, orange head”

***********

You received this message because you are subscribed to eBird’s Ada County Rare Bird Alert

Manage your eBird alert subscriptions:
https://ebird.org/alerts

eBird Alerts provide recent reports of regionally or seasonally rare species (Rarities Alerts) or species you have not yet observed (Needs Alerts) in your region of interest; both Accepted and Unreviewed observations are included. Some reports may be from private property or inaccessible to the general public. It is the responsibility of every eBirder to be aware of and respectful of access restrictions. For more information, see our Terms of Use: https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/terms-of-use/