Four Blue Jays at the platform feeder just now. (Tuesday, 5:45 p.m.) Big excitement. 😊

Patty Gailey
about 5 miles East of Blackfoot
near the Blackfoot River

Sent from Windows Mail

Yesterday saw a Townsend’s Solitaire back on its winter territory in our yard’s 5 juniper trees. Steller’s Jays have returned as well. A neighbor reported seeing a Blue Jay at his feeder on Tuesday. There are many juncos and chickadees foraging. One lone mountain bluebird is still hanging out as well.

Packsaddle Estates, Tetonia
Best, Susan

Comm.loon this am about 9:30 east end upper dam off the boat ramp also 5
gulls darkish back red tip lower bill too far away for better i.d.

Very cool! It’s always pleasant to welcome friends. No Eastern Blue Jay in
my yard, but recent Magpie visits brought me a smile.

On Sat, Oct 12, 2019, 4:48 PM lcarrigan_55@yahoo.com [ible] wrote:

>
>
> Today, I’ve seen a few singles: Yellow-rumped Warbler, RC Kinglet,
> White-crowned Sparrow & Townsend’s Solitaire. Also, a great close flyover
> by an adult Bald Eagle.
>
> But, at exactly 3:25 PM (checked the time), I first heard & then saw the
> return of an old friend from last year. The Blue Jay was at the feeder:
> loud, raucous & stuffing down seeds. Last fall a Blue Jay appeared on Oct
> 21. If not the same bird, this one certainly knows the area well. It
> immediately started caching black-oil sunflower seeds in some of the exact
> same locations as last year. I’ve read where hummingbirds can remember &
> find the same feeders from yr to yr, so why not a Blue Jay? Seems to be
> right at home. A pleasant surprise!
>
> Brian Carrigan
> Blackfoot
>
>

Today, I’ve seen a few singles: Yellow-rumped Warbler, RC Kinglet, White-crowned Sparrow & Townsend’s Solitaire. Also, a great close flyover by an adult Bald Eagle.

But, at exactly 3:25 PM (checked the time), I first heard & then saw the return of an old friend from last year. The Blue Jay was at the feeder: loud, raucous & stuffing down seeds. Last fall a Blue Jay appeared on Oct 21. If not the same bird, this one certainly knows the area well. It immediately started caching black-oil sunflower seeds in some of the exact same locations as last year. I’ve read where hummingbirds can remember & find the same feeders from yr to yr, so why not a Blue Jay? Seems to be right at home. A pleasant surprise!

Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot

Cheryl found a juvenile Sabine’s Gull near the south west end of the dam.

Denise Hughes
Caldwell, Idaho

Cheryl Huizinga found a Black Scoter along the lower dam at Deer Flat, possibly a female bird.

There is also a common loon and red-necked grebe near the dam.

You will need a scope for the Scoter. It is a ways from the dam.

Denise Hughes
Caldwell, Idaho

Just in the last week I have had Evening Grosbeaks, Cassin’s Finches, Pine
Siskins, RB Nuthatches, BC Chickadees, DE Juncos, WC Sparrows, and RC
Kinglets and YR Warblers (the latter 2 heard only). That’s in addition to
the usual suspects of H. Finches, M. Doves, L Goldfinches and the occasional
A. Goldfinch in winter finery. N. Flickers still occasionally come to my
feeders, and all the activity also attracts “Alice Cooper,” to keep them all
in line.

It has already been an amazing fall in my yard, and my bike rides have
produced 41 species 2 out of the last 4 days, with 39 today. And tomorrow
there’s a big front coming down from the north that should make for even
more fun. And just 2 weeks ago I was having to bike 15 to 20 miles just to
find 30 birds.

I love the change of season!!!!

Tom McCabe, Boise

Over the past couple days my place in Idaho Falls has been quite Birdy.
Yesterday I saw a Wilson’s warbler which was a new yard bird. Several
yellow-rumped warblers were also flitting around as well as several juncos
which I only occasionally see. Also had a flicker.

Today I saw three Pine siskins which is the first time I’ve ever seen them
in my yard. I’ve seen quite a few ruby-crowned kinglets, a few American
goldfinches and lots of House finches. I still have Meadowlarks singing.

Brian,
Birded Valley County last week and saw plenty of yellow-rumped warblers,
mountain bluebirds, kinglets, and evening grosbeaks coming through around
Lake Cascade. That was my first time there birding in fall so I can’t
compare it to anything.

Here in Emmett I’ve seen a surprising number of yellow-rumped warblers,
with one or two kinglets, and the winter residents of white crowned
sparrows, oregon juncos, flickers, and cedar waxwings have arrived. The
canal is thick with goldfinches and lesser GFs.

Liz
Emmett – Gem County