Heard and saw my first Western Meadowlark of 2020 this AM along the Parrish section of the Greenway Trail in Pocatello. Probably 10 days or so ahead of any other first of year sighting for me of Western Meadowlark.
announcing an Oregon Woodpecker Festival
Delete if you do not want to read about your neighboring state. Good birding, judy, jmeredit@…
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Announcing the 10th Annual Dean Hale Woodpecker festival. Online registration opens April 1. The Festival is headquartered in beautiful Sisters, Oregon and takes place June 4-7, 2020. This is a very popular festival and most tours fill very quickly, sometimes within a day of registration opening. This year, participants have a choice of twenty-nine guided tours in search of 11 different woodpecker species and 200 other birds that make central Oregon a birding hot spot. Study the list of trips in advance of registration to be sure you can be ready to sign up early on April 1.
The non-profit East Cascades Audubon Society (ECAS) sponsors the Dean Hale Woodpecker Festival, which offers a fun, friendly, casual atmosphere that is all about the birds. The trips are affordable, limited in size and guided by two local volunteers. The proceeds support ECAS education and conservation projects.
Tour details, registration and more information website: http://www.ecaudubon.org/dean-hale-woodpecker-festival. Questions can be directed to dhwf2020@… or Sherrie Pierce 541-548-4641.
Re: Sandhills +
We were there this afternoon! Then later we saw the 150 or so white fronted lift off from the backside at Birding Island south. Incredible!
Liz Medes
Emmett ID
Sandhills +
New Plymouth Sewage ponds this a.m.hundreds w.front geese few gadwalls several ringnecks couple shovlers 3 ruddy ducks 2 foy canvas backs, area nearby along river flock of 20 sandhills fly over
Evening Grosbeaks
For the past 2 wks my daily AM & evening ritual has been to count the Trumpeter Swans coming in to roost & then take off every AM from the Snake, below home. Most I’ve counted has been 165, avg 150. I can set my watch by their AM departure, 10:15 every morning. They sleep in, leaving a good 45 min after the geese have pulled out. Canada Geese number sev thousand. Last evening & this AM, fewer numbers, as I believe their northward migration has started.
At the feeder this AM, I had my first of yr Evening Grosbeaks. A total of 4, 1 male & 3 female. The Blue Jay continues to come in for black-oil sunflower seeds & whole corn, daily. The House Finches & Am Goldfinches are getting brighter colors. The Mt Chickadee continues to come to the feeder but the Pine Siskins have moved on.
Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot
More Cranes
For the 4th time in the last 7 days, I heard and then saw a flock of Sandhill Cranes flying over. Today I was just going down the path next to Veterans Pond when I heard that wonderful sound. It took me a moment but then I located a flock of about 30 cranes that seemed to be circling in a thermal to get elevation. Unfortunately there was no one to share them with. 🙁
And yesterday I was at Les Bois race track when I heard that delightful sound. The flock yesterday consisted of just 6 birds, in a “vee” formation, heading generally upriver. In retrospect, I would have to say that each of the 4 flocks I’ve seen were heading generally upriver.
Also, today was the 11th day in a row where I found at least 40 species on my bike ride. The highest count was 46, which is quite surprising to me for this time of year. Surprise birds have included Hairy Woodpeckers, WB Nuthatches, Merlins, and, of course, Sandhill Cranes. And today I encountered a pair of Cooper’s Hawks noisily cruising around in an area where they nested last year. 😉
Tom McCabe, Boise
Re: Rosy-Finch?
Well this might be a bit of a stretch based on this one photo but
it strikes me as possibly a Brambling. Do you remember seeing this
bird? Any possibility of more photos?
Cliff
On 2/25/20 12:10 PM, Elizabeth Medes
wrote:
wrote:
I was cleaning out old media files and I found this photo, sorry
for the lack of quality, from Nov 11 2019. Haven’t sighted any
rosy-finches here in the area before. I am captured by the black
markings on the leading edges of the coverts – so I’m wondering if
this isn’t a juvenile, going into first winter. Any feedback?
I’m unsure how this photo is going to post, so if it’s wonky, I’ll
retry. Thanks, Liz, Emmett ID
-- Cliff and Lisa Weisse Island Park, Idaho cliffandlisa@...
Rosy-Finch?
I was cleaning out old media files and I found this photo, sorry for the lack of quality, from Nov 11 2019. Haven’t sighted any rosy-finches here in the area before. I am captured by the black markings on the leading edges of the coverts – so I’m wondering if this isn’t a juvenile, going into first winter. Any feedback? I’m unsure how this photo is going to post, so if it’s wonky, I’ll retry. Thanks, Liz, Emmett ID
More RW Blackbirds
The Red-winged Blackbirds have always been the first migrating birds to show up at my place. Today there are 4 of them foraging under my feeder.
Jeff Brough
north of Idaho Falls near Ucon
Jeff Brough
north of Idaho Falls near Ucon
RW Blackbird
First RW Blackbird of Spring (male of course) appeared today. In some past years they over-wintered here, but not this year.
Bill Moore
Inkom