Long-tailed Jaeger and adult Sabine’s Gull in McCall

Bruce, Eric, and Andrew Pratt of Corvallis, Oregon (regular mostly-summer visitors to west-central Idaho) photographed an apparent juvenile Long-tailed Jaeger on the eastern arm of Payette Lake this afternoon.  I’m guessing they probably observed it from the eastern shore near “Camp Ida-Haven” which I believe is private property along with most of the nearby land, and I don’t know anything about access.  It looks like this bird could be looked for from East Side Road, the Shellworth Island area, Paradise Point, or possibly from within the Ponderosa State Park peninsula, near Huckleberry Bay and the Lilly Marsh Trail (though I don’t think the open water is visible from the trail system).  This bird could also be moving anywhere around Payette Lake, and looking for it from a boat would probably be the best strategy.  They also had a nice adult Sabine’s Gull.  Photos of both are in eBird: https://ebird.org/checklist/S94084836.  That’s all the information I have at this time – culled from their eBird checklist.

Good Birding,
Carl Lundblad
Corvallis, OR

Passerine Sp. at Fort Boise WMA – Any Thoughts on Audio Identification? Maybe a Grosbeak?

Hello Birders!

I was at Fort Boise WMA near Parma yesterday, and I heard this peculiar call that I could not identify right off – and still haven’t done so. You can listen to it at the bottom of this checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S94051216

The call/song in question has three or four down-slurred notes, and is at a pace of about two notes per second. When I was hearing it in the field, it reminded me of a Northern Cardinal, but that would be supremely odd! 😀

Thank you for your help in this puzzle!

Aidan Lorenz
Caldwell

Re: Photo

Bill length (about the same as the head length) would say Lesser Yellowlegs. Lesser Yellowlegs also migrate earlier than Greater, so are more likely now, though both are certainly possible.

Mark Stackhouse
westwings@…
from Mexico:
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001-801-518-5618 (cellular – U.S. and Mexico)
from  U.S.
011-52-323-285-1243 or
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