I think it’s a female Lesser Goldfinch based on the gray bill (generally pink on breeding American), yellow undertail coverts (American should be white), gray/dusky forehead and crown, darker gray/green mantle (vs. olive-yellow on American), plainer face lacking the bold eye arcs of American, apparently white wing bars and secondary edges (versus buffier and yellower on American).
Teach me to get in a hurry .. yeah that downward curve at the back of the top mandible looks American Goldfinch to me and the rest of the bill says your correct. Louisa … thank you for the catch.
On Aug 27, 2022, at 2:23 PM, Louisa Evers <elouisa603@…> wrote:
Don’t think the bill is right for a tanager. Could be a juvenile American goldfinch molting into adult plumage. Might be a female as well.
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
On Aug 27, 2022, at 12:57 PM, Tom & Susan Soniville <tomnsueid@…> wrote:
Came across this bird while chasing hummers in our neighborhood. There was a male Lesser Goldfinch nearby, but this clearly isn’t a Lesser, nor an American Goldfinch.
Any ideas?
Tom Soniville
West Bench
— Tom Soniville Boise. North End
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
Came across this bird while chasing hummers in our neighborhood. There was a male Lesser Goldfinch nearby, but this clearly isn’t a Lesser, nor an American Goldfinch.
This morning Intermountain Bird Observatory songbird banders caught a young female American Redstart at our Lucky Peak banding station in Ada County. She was released about a half hour ago.
Visitors are welcome, but please read the following info before you come up!
We band daily from 7am-12pm, so if you come up during those hours, please be mindful that we do have banding operations going. You’re welcome to check out what we’re doing, and check in with the banders about where you can walk. Please do NOT use playback at our site, and stay on the main trails or ask a bander. Note that the road to the site (highland valley road off Highway 21) requires high clearance and 4WD/AWD. You can park at the top of the road where there is a gate and outhouse, and walk into our site through the pedestrian walk-in gate.
E ID, esp along Snake River corridor, has been inundated with hummingbirds for 2 wks straight. I have one 4-port feeder & going thru about an ounce an hr. Friend in Aberdeen has 5 feeders & seeing same for each. Yest the Calliopes arrived. This evening watching at least 3 Calliope, 3 Rufous & 4 Black-chinned, all at once, jockeying for position to feed. Been some epic battles, esp by the Rufous!
Vast majority of the hummers are juveniles. Last time I had numbers like this was 1988, yr of Yellowstone fires. Think a combination of this summer’s heat & Salmon-area fires have pushed hummingbird migration along the Snake riparian corridor. Fun to watch!
Interesting, Bill. Along Snake River, fall migrant Rufous appeared about a month ago. Now, they’re the most numerous at feeder & keeping the resident Black-chinneds away. I only do one nectar feeder & averaging 8 oz/day. For our location, that’s a lot of migrating Rufous. Still waiting for Calliope & Broad-tailed here.
Overall, songbirds were really down in numbers this summer. Noticeably fewer Yellow Warblers, Wilson’s Warblers, Lazuli Buntings, Bullock’s Orioles, W Tanagers & Robins. Kind of think this summer’s heat & regional wildfires shifted Rufous migration, perhaps more along river riparian areas.
So I’ve been derelict in reporting. Rufous showed up a week and a half ago, five to six weeks late. Hummer sugar depletion is 20-30% behind last year, which was below previous years.
Still loads of traffic, only lower if compared to recent, three quart feeders yesterday.
Our major sunflower eaters have moved on a couple weeks ago, no BW Blackbirds or BH Grosbeaks. We have loads of siskens and goldfinches.
Bill Moore Hoot Owl Inkom
Home of Idaho Birding and the Idaho Bird Records Committee
