Here’s the latest batch of records for which voting has been completed by IBRC.

Cliff

Accepted in first Round:
White-rumped Sandpiper 19-B-2020
Ruddy Turnstone 37-B-2020
Indigo Bunting 32-B-2020
Northern Hawk Owl 30-B-2020
Northern Parula 29-B-2020
Ovenbird 26-B-2020
Hudsonian Godwit 27-B-2020
Alder Flycatcher 25-B-2020
Indigo Bunting 24-B-2020
Eastern Phoebe 23-B-2020
Blue Grosbeak 22-B-2020
Blue Grosbeak 21-B-2020
Whimbrel 18-B-2020
Yellow-billed Loon 28-B-2020
Blackburnian Warbler 55-B-2020
Black-billed Cuckoo 54-B-2020
Purple Finch 62-B-2020
Black Scoter 60-B-2020
Black Scoter 59-B-2020
Northern Hawk Owl 58-B-2020
Summer Tanager 57-B-2020
American Black Duck 56-B-2020
Swamp Sparrow 53-B-2020
Fox Sparrow (Red Subspecies)
Tennessee Warbler 52-B-2020
Buff-breasted Sandpiper 46-B-2020
Chestnut-sided Warbler 43-B-2020
Tennessee Warbler 41-B-2020
Broad-winged Hawk 39-B-2020
Merlin 34-B-2020

Not Accepted in first round:
Blue Grosbeak 35-B-2020
Gull-billed Tern 1-A-2020
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 63-B-2020
Broad-winger Hawk 49-B-2020

Accepted in second round:
Dusky Flycatcher 15-B-2018 (7-0)
Hermit Warbler 17-B-2020 (7-0)
Summer Tanager 20-B-2020 (5-2)
Short-billed Dowitcher 33-B-2020 (6-1)

Not Accepted in second round:
Blue-headed Vireo 44-B-2017 (1-6)
Clay-colored Sparrow 14-B-2020 (2-5)
White-winged Crossbill 31-B-2020 (2-5)

Not Accepted in third round:
Neotropic Cormorant 20-B-2019 (3-4)
Upland Sandpiper 14-B-2019 (2-5)

I’ve been asked a few times about the meaning of the alpha-numeric codes shown after the species name in the list of reviewed records I send out in these updates.  All records are in this format:
Species name, Record Number, (Vote).
Species name is self explanatory.
The record number is in 3 parts separated by hyphens.  The first part is the number of the record within a given year.  The second part is a letter, either A or B, which designates whether the report is for a species with previous Idaho records (B), or if the report is for a species not yet documented in Idaho (A).   The third part is the year in which the report was submitted.
The numbers in parenthesis are the final vote arrived at by IBRC for the record, with the first number for “accept” votes, the second for “not accept” votes.  First round votes must be unanimous to be decisive so any record Accepted/Not Accepted in first round is necessarily 7-0 or 0-7.

Here’s an example:
Lincoln’s Sparrow 11-B-13 (7-0)
In this case the species is Lincoln’s Sparrow.
The record number, 11-B-13, shows that this is the 11th report submitted to IBRC during the year, the “B” shows that there are previous records for Lincoln’s Sparrow, “13” is the year, 2013.
The numbers in parenthesis, (7-0), are the final vote on the record.  7 votes to Accept, 0 votes for Not Accept.

Accepted in first round:
Bewick’s Wren 15-B-13

Accepted in second round:
Lincoln’s Sparrow 11-B-13 (7-0)

-Report rarities to the Idaho Bird Records Committee via the online form at:
https://ibrc.idahobirds.net/node/add/rare_bird_reports
-Helpful tips for preparing your report can be found in this article:
https://ibrc.idahobirds.net/how-to-document
-Don’t forget to check the Review List before taking the time to prepare a report:
https://ibrc.idahobirds.net/review-species
-You can contact the Secretary via email at this address:
secretary@idahobirds.net
-As always you can email any Committee member with questions. Addresses can be found here:
https://ibrc.idahobirds.net/

—
Cliff and Lisa Weisse
Island Park, Idaho
cliffandlisa@octobersetters.com

As the weather warmed a bit last week I started poking around the New Plymouth area to see if any migrants were starting to show up. I found some snow geese in the lower Payette River region, along with some red-winged blackbirds starting to stake out territories and saw my fist robins. At the New Plymouth sewage pond i saw a good sized flock of  northern shovelers and a few ruddy ducks. So today I decided to hit the Boise Wildlife area to see if anything was showing up there. I was really surprised to find almost all of the usual water areas dried up. I don’t recall any discussion of this on IBLE; if there was I certainly missed it. I’m going to miss watching those large flocks of geese coming in this Spring. I did see a few FOY birds but I thought that I should let everyone that the area is undergoing a large scale construction project until at least May. The project is funded from Federal monies (P&R ?) with Ducks Unlimited doing the design work. I’m sure it will really upgrade the habitat there; just sad about missing on one of my favorite early Spring favorite places.

Fred Crase
New Plymouth

We had a family of BANOs(9!) in a packing shed until vineyard production stepped up and they disappeared.  That was 18 years ago or so.  Haven’t seen any on this east end of Emmett since.  Have hung a barn owl box in several locations, but no luck.

This weekend I discovered a pair on a sandstone wall, maybe 30 ft above HWY 52 (Black Canyon Reservoir) on a hairbend turn, a very dangerous corner.  Gad, this makes me nervous.

Liz Medes
Emmett

I saw 2 large flocks of approximately 70+ flying high close to the house in Emmett around 12:30 today. They possibly could be some of the ones you saw earlier Janet. I love their calls!

At least 50 Sandhill Cranes grazing and groups seen flying in area today at noon—Highway #52 NW of Emmett—town called Little Rock. Hotspot 43 55 06.0 -116 41 36.9
1000’s of Snow Geese still at Roswell Pond 43 44 56.5 -117 00 16.8