Odd… I’m hearing house wrens nearly every day except in our backyard, where they set up housekeeping last year in a super deluxe bungalow hand-made and painted by a friend in Boise. I’ll just have to be patient. Catbirds are in Montour WMA; chats, lazulis, and yellow warblers all in their quarters, nearby kestrels have fledged, saw female western tanagers this a.m. on Shalerock Rd, near Black Canyon Res. Surprise Dusky flycatcher at Emmett Wastewater Treatment Plant this afternoon.
And that’s the Gem County minute,
Liz Medes
Our house wrens showed up en masse yesterday. I saw at least five at one time and they seem to be staking out usual sites around the house, in the woods and at the barn. Interesting thing was one of the first had a faulty, unusual song. When the gang appeared the faulty song stopped and everyone is now singing familiar refrain. You’d think it would have heard right song in winter range. They are a full month later than last year.
We’ve got hummers hitting feeders, but at a rate that’s about a third the rate over the last several years. They showed up on time however. I wonder if bird disease is reducing their numbers. I see no evidence of sick or slower birds however.
Lots of Lazuli and BH Grosbeaks and Cassins are still hanging out as are SIskens. My latest project is trying to turn some of the BH into BH/Rosebreasted hybrids per Sibley. As usual Evenings fled when BH appeared. Turkeys encourage dogs to want to get up and chase them out back at about 5:45 AM most mornings.
Bill Moore
Hoot Owl
Sorry, meant Gray Catbird! Had Northern on my mind, as had been talking to another birder about N Goshawk sightings this past winter.
Brian Carrigan
New arrival today is a N Catbird. Plenty of BH Grosbeaks, Lazuli Buntings & Yellow Warblers here. Finally saw a W Tanager yest AM. Curiously absent are House Wrens. Have seen a total of 2, this spring, over 3 wk apart. Usually, by now, already building their nests. And know where at least 4 should be nesting. Zero around for past 10 days. Do have a robin nesting under eave of garage at bend in gutter downspout. And have seen a Wild Turkey with 2 young fluff balls trotting beneath her.
Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot
Home of Idaho Birding and the Idaho Bird Records Committee
