Saw 2 Snow Buntings yesterday while snowshoeing backcountry out of Stanley. Besides 2 others seen a couple wks ago over by Driggs, only ones I’ve seen this winter. Even Horned Lark flocks seem to be rare this winter. Not worth specifics to try to relocate, just keep eyes peeled when along snow-covered, open expanses. There are a few out there.
Also, still have several Common Redpolls coming into thistle feeder at home. Along with a curious, bull moose, who seems to like our front pasture & adjoining cottonwoods.
Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot
Hi everyone,
Yesterday late afternoon, Amy & I watched at least a hundred Common Redpolls at Montour.
eBird flagged that many, apparently 50 would not have been flagged. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a camera.
Has anyone else seen this many? It has been quite a winter for them!
The birds were all together, moving around the bushes along the Old Emmett highway, just to the west of the campground.
At first, we thought there were Pine Siskins mixed in, but as far as we could tell, they were all Redpolls.
They were vocalizing as they flew between the bushes, a v distinctive hard metallic & rapid twittering.
A lifer for me (in the UK, the redpolls there are called Lesser Redpolls (Acanthis cabaret), which are a little
smaller & browner). I gather there are discussions going on about making all redpolls a single species.
I realize that these days DNA profiles are the oveiriding factor in Taxonomy, but to my mind, that runs counter to evolution.
John Shortis
Home of Idaho Birding and the Idaho Bird Records Committee
