This AM, with cooler temps & no wind, finding small groups of mainly juvenile Audubon’s Warblers, working their way through, 1 MacGillivray’s, resident RB Nuthatch family & group of 5 Pine Siskins picking seeds from top cones of blue spruce trees. Also, Chipping Sparrows, both juv & adult. Am Robins are present in good numbers.

Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot

Thanks Dean

IBLE, posing a question about observed presence of Canada jays and Clark’s nutcrackers at non typical habitat. In Valley Co. at 5k elevation I have been seeing both species more frequently as compared to 10 years ago? Adaptation to limited resources from various factors not limited to the big one, climate upheaval? Thoughts ?
Cheers, Rich Rusnak

Same here, especially near Stonebreaker Rd, but no other warbler species, nor any shore birds. 4 Sandhills though hanging with 120 plus white pelicans. 

Thanks for the report from Lucky Peak, Jay. That’s good to hear. Maybe songbirds shifted their migration pattern this yr, haven’t fully arrived in their passage through my area (Snake River Riparian bordering Snake River & Riparian BLM ground/in past has always acted as a spring & fall songbird migrant stopover) or I just plain missed the biggest part of their push. Just know last yr & so far, this fall, not seeing big mixed groups as in previous yrs. Appears to mainly be 2-3 bird groups of stragglers. If I don’t get a Townsend’s soon, will be 2nd yr in a row with zero. 

Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot

Thanks RL.  ABA has the best information I have read. As expected some media outlets ie Forbes and others jumped to conclusions on the cause and also exaggerated the numbers.