Listserv Posts

Common Loon/RB Merganser

Yesterday there were 2 Common Loons at Silver Lake (Lake Harbor), but today I could only find one, and he spent a lot of time under water. And when I got back to Esther Simplot Park, there were 3 Red-breasted Mergansers (males) swimming around on the back pond.
This is the pond that is furthest north and west and only has a dirt path around it. You can access it easily from the Greenbelt path or directly from Whitewater Boulevard.
Gotta love migration!
Tom McCabe, Boise 
Listserv Posts

Re: Semipalmated Sandpiper Records

Similar to Swainson’s Hawk Semis winter mostly in South America
and their migration timing is similarly punctual. FWIW, there are
zero eBird records for March in WA, OR, CA, NV, ID, UT, WY, MT,
NM, and ND. Arrival this early is unprecedented so it’s well worth
making the effort to obtain photographic documentation.

Cliff

On 3/31/25 07:16PM, Louisa Evers via
groups.io wrote:

I
know Linda Wentz and I studied our reported semipalmated
sandpiper as carefully as we could before a harrier spooked
the bird. We first thought a western sandpiper but the bill
was too short and the wrong shape (more-or-less conical and
not down-drooping). We also did not see any rufous on the
head, auriculars, or scapulars and it lacked spotting in the
flanks, nor was it the typical gray color of basic plumage.
Definitely had black legs. Many birds are showing up early
this year in southwest Idaho.

On Mon, Mar 31, 2025 at
7:09 PM Cliff Weisse via groups.io <cliffandlisa=octobersetters.com@groups.io>
wrote:

We
are seeing a spate of eBird reports of Semipalmated Sandpiper
in
Idaho so I thought I’d throw this out there. This is
exceedingly early
for this species in Idaho. I just pulled up the eBird map for
this year
and the closest to Idaho there are checklists is in Kansas. I
found two
photos for Idaho in late April but May is a more typical time
for them
to come through.

Shorebirds in general can be difficult to ID (to say the
least) and
Semipalmated Sandpiper is notoriously easy to confuse with/for
other
species, especially Western Sandpiper. I would encourage
everyone to try
to get photos if you think you see one before May. Good luck.

Cliff

—
Cliff and Lisa Weisse
Island Park, Idaho
cliffandlisa@…

—

Louisa Evers
Take care of the birds and you take care of the world 

-- 
Cliff and Lisa Weisse
Island Park, Idaho
cliffandlisa@...
Listserv Posts

Re: Semipalmated Sandpiper Records

I know Linda Wentz and I studied our reported semipalmated sandpiper as carefully as we could before a harrier spooked the bird. We first thought a western sandpiper but the bill was too short and the wrong shape (more-or-less conical and not down-drooping). We also did not see any rufous on the head, auriculars, or scapulars and it lacked spotting in the flanks, nor was it the typical gray color of basic plumage. Definitely had black legs. Many birds are showing up early this year in southwest Idaho.

On Mon, Mar 31, 2025 at 7:09 PM Cliff Weisse via groups.io <cliffandlisa=octobersetters.com@groups.io> wrote:
Listserv Posts

Semipalmated Sandpiper Records

We are seeing a spate of eBird reports of Semipalmated Sandpiper in Idaho so I thought I’d throw this out there. This is exceedingly early for this species in Idaho. I just pulled up the eBird map for this year and the closest to Idaho there are checklists is in Kansas. I found two photos for Idaho in late April but May is a more typical time for them to come through.

Shorebirds in general can be difficult to ID (to say the least) and Semipalmated Sandpiper is notoriously easy to confuse with/for other species, especially Western Sandpiper. I would encourage everyone to try to get photos if you think you see one before May. Good luck.

Cliff

—
Cliff and Lisa Weisse
Island Park, Idaho
cliffandlisa@…

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