I’ve yet to see a Broad-tailed this season. Only had a couple last fall migration. Interestingly, when we first moved along the river, 35 yrs ago, Broad-taileds were our resident summer hummingbird. Then, their numbers simply started decreasing each season. Gradually replaced by Black-chinned around 15 yrs ago.
Also, unless there’s another push, the Rufous have been absent for 3 days now. Had male Calliope last month, those coming through lately have been females &, mostly, juveniles.
I still have three 1 quart feeders up and they are generally mobbed. We had to take one feeder down that was up in the crabapple. It’s generally a hummer fave, but this year the bees and wasps are so heavy they drive off the birds. I still have mostly BC with some calliope and BT, both males and females/juvies, but few calliope males. We’re still short on rufous. In the morning and evening all feeders ports are in use, during the day it’s fewer with lots of BC guarding going on. Three on feeder near my chair now. I no longer have patience to try and ID species females/juvies and sizes overlap (lack of patience extends to sparrows and peeps).
Sunflower feeders is getting goldfinches, siskens and BH Grosbeaks.
Two sets of Sandhills raised colts to flight apparently.
Last Thu was the last juvenile Rufous I’ve seen at feeder. Since, it’s mainly been juvenile Black-chinned, with occasional adult male, & fewer number of juvenile Calliope. The BC outnumber the Calliope about 5:1. However, the little Calliope can hold their own in the feeder battles!
Yellow Warblers seem to have pulled out en masse during past week. Black-headed Grosbeaks & Bullock’s Orioles still around, but in diminished numbers. And, more RB Nuthatches are present, see & hear up to 5 diff’t individuals.
Interesting to watch the hummers. They stay at a feeder port for much longer & can actually watch their bellies distend! Definitely, stocking up. Will be quite interesting to see what happens the rest of this month, as this is usually when Rufous & Calliope start appearing, not disappearing. Curious what you may be observing, Bill Moore?
Recently, we returned from a trip to Teton Village & Teton Nat’l Pk with our son, daughter-in-law &, most importantly, our grandson! It was our grandson’s birthday & they had flown into Jackson Airport where we all met, then started our daily adventures. Spent part of our time at Teton Village riding tram & gondolas.
We took the Wildfire Trail to Sweetwater Gondola top, to ride back down. Along the way, Pop-pop (me) was getting a bit pooped-pooped! So, sat down on a bench & started glassing slope & trees. Behind me, heard, so blurted out, “Quick, three beers!” My son stated he thought Pop-pop had lost it & that he only had water to offer. About then, the Olive-sided Flycatcher landed on a nearby perch.
Had been a few yrs since hearing & observing one, so a fun sighting! And, son & 6-y/o grandson were glad that Pop-pop wasn’t “losing it”, afterall! Nana did what all Nanas do, & just rolled her eyes…
It was great to see you yesterday and thanks for being a beacon to the Baird’s.
It was a bit warmer than the time Pat and I met you at the cemetery in Caldwell chasing White-winged Crossbills 🙂
I did the circumnavigation of the reservoir and found the Bairds in several small flocks on their own and mostly mixed in with Western Sandpipers. I found them all the way to the toe the far end by the dam.
I did see you and Pat out there birding together as I got back and met my wife. Margie said she got to talk to Pat and Ruby.
It was a cool day of birding and amazing to see how the water levels have held up into August.
When I got home I saw Carter Strope post to FB Idaho Rare Birds page and his input on the 4 juvenile Short-billed Dowitchers he saw early yesterday morning.
I had seen a small flock of 4 Dowitchers that looked a bit different but since I was looking for Bairds I took a few shots and moved on. When I culled through a few thousand images I ran found those and low and behold they were a good match for the 4 birds described by Carter as juvenile Short-billed Dowitchers.
On Aug 10, 2023, at 5:49 PM, jmeredit via groups.io <jmeredit@…> wrote:
Thanks Pat. Good to share findings. Hope you got the chair back. Judy
On 2023-08-10 16:18, Pat McGrane wrote:
[Edited Message Follows]
Judy, It was nice seeing you the other day. I saw your eBird checklist with the 17 Baird’s so I decided to take a look yesterday. While sitting on the North shore, a flock of 25 Baird’s landed right in front of me. I counted them three times and watched them for 10 minutes. As I got up, they flew a sort way down the shore. When I got to the South side, I found small groups of Baird’s scattered along the shoreline all the way to the parking lot. They may have been the same birds as on the North side, or there may be more than 25. Good find. Take care.
Ken Miracle chukar28@… 208-570-2780 “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” 2COR 3:5
Ken Miracle chukar28@… 208-570-2780 “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” 2COR 3:5
Judy, I saw your eBird checklist with the 17 Baird’s so I decided to take a look yesterday While sitting on the North shore, a flock of 25 Baird’s landed right in front of me. I watched then for 10 minutes. As I got up, they flew a sort way down the shore. When I got to the South side I found small groups of Baird’s scattered along the shoreline all the way to the parking lot. They may have been the same birds as on the North side or there may be more than 25. Good find.
I frequently circumnavigate it but today only had time to go around the inlet half.
The last time I saw a lot of American Avocets they were on the dam end of the reservoir.
The Dowitcher count was way down from the last time I was there on 8-1-23.
I went looking for Semipalmated Plover and Sandpiper both Lifers for me and had to be home by 11 AM or my wife would have turned me into a pumpkin 🙂
On Aug 8, 2023, at 9:59 PM, jmeredit via groups.io <jmeredit@…> wrote:
I used a tip from Pat McGrane and walked the perimeter or I would have only had one Baird’s. The 17 were on the NW shore. One was on the muddy east side. I also had 3 Solitary Sands. Judy
On 2023-08-09 03:47, Ken Miracle via groups.io wrote:
I was there this morning 7:30 to 10:25 but saw no Baird’s. Only Sandpipers today for me were Solitary (E bird flagged the 3 I saw) , Spotted, Semipalmated, Western, Least. Had other projects as soon as I got home so I just now finished checking ID from my photos and posting my Ebird check list. Will not get all the photos culled and processed for e bird until tomorrow.
On Aug 8, 2023, at 8:46 PM, jmeredit via groups.io <jmeredit@…> wrote:
I live in Oregon, so not aware of your usual numbers but a flock of 17 Baird’s Sandpipers seemed like a big number to me, at Blacks Creek. Had 12 species of shorebirds today, so fewer than a few days ago but nice birding.
Ken Miracle chukar28@… 208-570-2780 “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” 2COR 3:5
Ken Miracle chukar28@… 208-570-2780 “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” 2COR 3:5
I used a tip from Pat McGrane and walked the perimeter or I would have only had one Baird’s. The 17 were on the NW shore. One was on the muddy east side. I also had 3 Solitary Sands. Judy
