Brian, your hummers have evidently just changed neighborhoods. Here, by the Blackfoot River, we’re struggling to keep four feeders filled! We have Black-chinneds, Rufous, Calliope and Broad Tailed. Sitting on the deck in the evening is amazing, but sometimes a lesson in trying not to duck the zoomers. Black-headed Grosbeaks still here with youngsters in tow. Record number of nesting House Wrens almost gone. Sadly, we don’t get your Lazuli Buntings…just the occasional itinerant. Lots of warblers passing through, but I’m not sharp enough to identify them this time of year!
Patty Gailey
East of Blackfoot

Wow, Patty! 4 Blue Jays at your feeder. Maybe mine joined up with yours. It was here for 3 days but haven’t seen since. Just did some evening birding & found: RB Nuthatch, one female Evening Grosbeak & a Spotted Towhee. Have around 30 DE Juncos & a few Townsend’s Solitaires.

So, when I got onto IBLE just now, I’m seeing a notice from Yahoo re: Groups. Sounds like Yahoo is decreasing the function of Groups, overall. Guess my question is, will IBLE continue or will it cease to exist?

Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot

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