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[IBLE] How Does a Cowbird Become a…Cowbird?

So, this evening, after getting lawn mowed & garden tended, I was sitting on deck, doing some birding. Saw my first juvenile Cedar Waxwings of the season flycatching, so they’ve left the nest. And juvenile BH Grosbeaks are hitting the seeds, now. Young Robins are busy in the lawn going after worms. The adult BC Hummingbirds are busy at the feeder & juveniles should show soon.

Then, for only my 2nd time in 30 yrs here, I watched a female Yellow Warbler frantically trying to keep up with the appetite of her juvenile BH Cowbird. And it made me wonder, how does a Cowbird know it’s a Cowbird, if raised by a surrogate. So, I Googled it. Turns out, this has been studied. Lab raised Cowbirds by a surrogate mom, eventually adopt characteristics & try to mate with the surrogate species. Wild ones, don’t.

Through transmitter studies, it’s been determined that the female Cowbird that laid her egg in a surrogate’s nest, never disappears. Hangs around & at about 20 days of age, the juvenile Cowbird sneaks out at night from surrogate’s mom roost & takes up with real mom! Learning Cowbird ways, only to return by morning, and get fed all day by the surrogate. I have an entirely new appreciation for Cowbirds! That’s pretty slick…someone else does all the work & mom Cowbird gets to do fun stuff with junior, teaching the ins & outs of Cowbird-ism.

Now, if I could only convince my son & daughter-in-law to let us have our grandson all day, everyday & they could take him back at night. He would still be theirs…and we could do all the “hard” stuff…spoil, feed him wrong foods, play, etc!

Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot

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[IBLE] fall migration

Birders,
from where we roost, looks like “Southward-bound” or at least “drifting-about” is The Happening Thing
as of this morning we see peeps and other shorebirds showing up, swallows getting restless, and we’re seeing massive gatherings of Short-tailed Magpies
these appear to be a silent variant of the almost-always-very-vocal Black-billed Magpie and may be more distantly related to the somewhat-less-vocal-and-more-westerly Yellow-billed Magpie
these STMA exhibit another behavioral difference (other than being silent) – they form gangs of 30+ and kind of “wash over the landscape” like locusts do….
😉 Larry

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[IBLE] New arrival

I was surprised on my ride today when I saw a Lesser Scaup pop up at the
lower end of Veterans Pond. He was still getting his adult feathers, but
enough were present for an ID, especially with his “point” at the rear of
his head.

Also present today, for the second time in a few weeks, was a Herring Gull
at Esther Simplot pond. He was standing next to a small flock of RB Gulls,
and his size difference was pretty obvious, but the beak and red mark were
definitive. He also sometimes does the Herring Gull raucous call that sounds
like he’s complaining about something.

Tom McCabe, Boise

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[IBLE] Pine Siskins & Rufous

My wife & I were in Sun Valley for the Arts Festival on Fri & then up at the cabin in Island Park yest & today. Like has been mentioned, I was surprised by the numbers of Pine Siskins in both places. In one grouping in Sun Valley, saw at least 50 coming into a parking lot for grit.

Now, back home & found my hummingbird feeder empty. So, just refilled & immediately had a female Rufous appear. She’s hit it 3 times in past 5 minutes & just got chased off by a female Black-chinned. July is early for a Rufous at our Snake River home elevation.

Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot

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Re: [IBLE] Bewick’s Wrens (BEWR) ~ ~ ~

Thanks, Larry, I think there is a phenomenon afoot, and I’m afraid in my
neighborhood it is the growing number of Ada County refugees buying 5 acre
lots and setting hens. In other words, redtails are a threat to their egg
industry. No one would ever admit to this – but why are all the nesting
pairs gone?

I still see plenty on HWY 16 – away from the town. But in the meantime,
our gopher population is exploding.

In other news, a night hawk landed on our road and I was able to film him
for a while. We used to have hundreds living on the abundant insect life in
our organic vineyard. They used to land in a row and sleep during the day
– we thought they were sick, but no, just napping.

And I’ve got Yellow Warbler juvies bathing in the sprinklers. Never thought
I’d see that.

Soldiering on,
Liz

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[IBLE] Re: Odd Hummer near Madera Canyon AZ

I once posited that we might as well put red food color in hummingbird
nectar because they don’t live long enough for a cancer threat. Chuck Trost
countered that some hummers live over 10 years. That’s a long time for
that high speed metabolism. Not surprising that they are greying just like
I am!
Great observation. I’m dealing with a bunch of youngsters at the feeders
now.
Didn’t truly appreciate how great SE idaho birding is until I had to leave.
Enjoy it!

Joel Tinsley
Powell Butte, Oregon
formerly a 25 year resident of Blackfoot, ID.
Still birding and still missing SE Idaho

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