Good on you Cheech!! Persistence pays off.
Re: [eBird Alert] Ada County Rare Bird Alert
Interesting you mentioned that Vesper Sparrow. I called one April 19, 2019. Of all the birds I’ve seen on that route, that is the one call I doubt the most. I was hoping Jay would spot one this year and at least validate the possibility of a VESP.
Two observations:
- I have 98 species on the list during 5 years of walking that route. It would be over 100 if I was better at identifying gulls (always “gull sps.) and female hummingbirds! I am surprised at the variety of birds present in the neighborhood. I never thought I would break 25 species. A daily walk is good for your soul and eBird. I encourage anyone to select a patch that is easy to access and start recording. You will be amazed at what you see.
- Having Jay in the neighborhood walking the same route heightens your awareness when you stop and chat and he says, “Hey, did you just hear those Red Crossbills?” or “Clark’s Nutcrackers just flew by!” He makes you “play-up” and strive to do better. I think he and Heidi helped me add 25 species since the spring by just adding their observations to eBird. I’m thankful to so many people who listened to my beginner questions and helped me be a better birder including all those Audubon and SIBA Field Trips.
Let’s hope for more Vespers in 2021. Ann
Re: Ada County Rare Bird Alert
Jay ~ ~ ~
I’m impressed too, because my life list along the Boise River Greenbelt (my eBird patch, Missy’s eBird patch) includes a mere 14 sp of sparrows over eight yrs, 1738 complete checklists, and just this morning I mentioned to Missy that we really should be looking at sparrows a little more closely, ha !!!
LA
Re: [eBird Alert] Ada County Rare Bird Alert
Thanks Larry
By necessity, I’ve been focused more on “patch” birding in 2020 and I’m impressed with the variety this stretch of the Farmers Lateral canal, nestled in suburbia, has yielded. For example, including Spotted Towhee & DE Junco, that’s 12 species of sparrows I know of just this fall (Chipping, Brewer’s, Lark, Fox, Junco, White-crowned, White-throated, Harris’s, Savannah, Song, Lincoln’s, and Towhee; does not include Vesper but maybe Ann or others saw one this fall?) and then there was the Clay-colored that Ann found in the spring so at least 13 sparrows in 2020! Holding out for one more … and hoping 1 or 2 goodies will linger for our CBC 🙂
Jay
Re: Some interesting birds
Curious about this too. Had a SW bound flyover of 200+ day before yesterday here in east Emmett.
Liz Medes
[eBird Alert] Ada County Rare Bird Alert
awesome sparrows, Jay and Ann =)
—– Forwarded Message —–
From: “ebird-alert” <ebird-alert@…>
Sent: Saturday, November 14, 2020 2:32:43 AM
Subject: [eBird Alert] Ada County Rare Bird Alert <daily>
*** Species Summary:
– Blue Jay (1 report)
– Fox Sparrow (2 reports)
– Harris’s Sparrow (1 report)
———————————————
Thank you for subscribing to the <daily> Ada County Rare Bird Alert.The report below shows observations of rare birds in Ada County. View or unsubscribe to this alert at https://ebird.org/alert/summary?sid=SN36228
NOTE: all sightings are UNCONFIRMED unless indicated.
eBird encourages our users to bird safely, responsibly, and mindfully. Please follow the recommendations of your local health authorities and respect any active travel restrictions in your area. For more information visit: https://ebird.org/news/please-bird-mindfully
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) (1) CONFIRMED
– Reported Nov 13, 2020 12:30 by Ceredig Roberts
– 1066 E Hearthstone Drive, Ada, Idaho
– Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=43.656347,-116.17723&ll=43.656347,-116.17723
– Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S76204532
– Comments: “contiuing to visit the peanuts in the backyard.”
Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) (1) CONFIRMED
– Reported Nov 13, 2020 08:09 by Jay Carlisle
– Bitteroot neighborhood , Ada, Idaho
– Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=43.599982,-116.278439&ll=43.599982,-116.278439
– Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S76192317
– Comments: “Continuing along fence line near SW edge of Borah park. Still carrying left wing a bit droopy 🤔”
Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) (1) CONFIRMED
– Reported Nov 13, 2020 14:59 by Ann Swanson
– Farmers Canal Bank between Cole Rd. and Aurora St., Ada, Idaho
– Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=43.5977459,-116.269083&ll=43.5977459,-116.269083
– Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S76210713
– Comments: “continuing.”
Harris’s Sparrow (Zonotrichia querula) (1)
– Reported Nov 13, 2020 08:09 by Jay Carlisle
– Bitteroot neighborhood , Ada, Idaho
– Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=43.599982,-116.278439&ll=43.599982,-116.278439
– Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S76192317
– Comments: “Immature with juncos, White-crowned, & Song along canal ~100 yards E of blue dumpster behind BK sports fields. Will add crummy digi-bino pic”
***********
You received this message because you are subscribed to eBird’s Ada County Rare Bird Alert
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eBird Alerts provide recent reports of regionally or seasonally rare species (Rarities Alerts) or species you have not yet observed (Needs Alerts) in your region of interest; both Accepted and Unreviewed observations are included. Some reports may be from private property or inaccessible to the general public. It is the responsibility of every eBirder to be aware of and respectful of access restrictions. For more information, see our Terms of Use: https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/terms-of-use/
Re: Some interesting birds
Hey all, RL here… again.
Jason Talbot and I birded Elmore and Owyhee Co.’s Wednesday on our Veteran’s Day push. All along the river we noticed goldeneye most everywhere. A few clumps and smaller scatterings of them on the river from Grandview on up to about a mile below the dam but almost none from the island, where the recent Black Scoter was found, to the dam. Two good-sized rafts on the big water behind CJ dam but essentially none above that to Jack’s Ck..
Possibly the really big numbers have yet to arrive.
My real curiosity is the numbers of Snow Geese that I have been seeing on the several trips I have made to the area recently. The over-swampingly number of them have been flyovers moving SE at altitude with only a relative few on land or the water. My curiosity is what is bringing them here to SW Idaho this time of year. We normally wouldn’t see
these numbers until starting in January. Could one possibility be that the OR and CA fires are pushing them out of their normal flyway? I don’t think it is the weather so much as might be expected with smaller birds?
CGB. RL
Re: Some interesting birds
They were frequent dependable visitors in winter on the north channel of Plantation Island, at least when we lived there in the 90s.
The day the pandemic was declared, March 11th to be exact, I was birding with two friends at the Shakespeare festival grounds. We saw both species of goldeneyes. That seems worlds away. Did see one the other day, a single male Barrows, at the new F&G Dick Knox ponds due to open soon here in Emmett.
Liz Medes
Emmett
Re: Some interesting birds
The only Goldeneyes I have seen so far this season were all the way down river in the ponds at Laguna Point. I agree, I used to see them at the bridge by the stables every winter. Maybe they’re still on their way.
Tom
Re: Birds
Thank You!