Quick update:
– tally sheets that arrived yesterday included a single Ring-necked Pheasant and a single Western Meadowlark – bringing our count day total to 98 species
– Yesterday 2 species were added for count week:

– Tom McCabe saw a Northern Pintail along the greenbelt
– Paul Grabe saw a Peregrine downtown (that was absent or hiding for visits by 4 different people on Saturday 🙂

– also, in addition to the high #s of Bewick’s Wrens, it’s looking like it’ll be a record high count for Anna’s Hummingbirds – still checking/comparing among feeder-watchers but likely 7+!

Thanks again to everyone & let us know if you see a Killdeer or anything else unusual today or tomorrow,
Jay

On Saturday, December 22, 2018, 9:08:45 PM MST, Jay Carlisle carlislejay@yahoo.com [ible] wrote:

Howdy IBLE
Well over 40 people helped out on a very nice winter day today.  Currently sitting at 96 species for count day …
No mega-surprises but a few highlights I heard of:
– 5 owl species!
– multiple Harris’s Sparrows and a returning, now adult-plumaged Golden-crowned Sparrow
– 2+ Double-crested Cormorant (perhaps becoming more regular now?)
– 3+ Anna’s Hummingbirds
– 2 Say’s Phoebe
– 4+ Bewick’s Wrens (among 5 wren species)
A few notable misses:
– Peregrine Falcon (despite a lot of looking downtown)

– Killdeer
– Western Meadowlark (though we have less habitat than historically)
– a few waterfowl including Ruddy Duck, Eurasian Wigeon, & Northern Pintail

Thanks to everyone who helped – especially RL (now retired as compiler to specialize in Zonotrichia sparrow finding 🙂 for passing on key info and Rob Magill for putting it to use in helping compile!
Happy holidays,
Jay

Late this morning, I found an immature RED-SHOULDERED HAWK at Hell’s Gate
State Park in Lewiston. I first found it perched on the river near the
amphitheater. It flew south along the river, and I was twice able to
relocated it. On the third round, it flew high, circled a couple of times,
and then dove out of sight somewhere on the Washington side of the river.
I’m aware of no reports of Red-shouldered Hawk from north of Valley County
in Idaho, and it appears this species may also be previously unreported
from Asotin County, Washington (into which it flew). Photos and additional
details are on eBird: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S50900117.

Hope it sticks around a while for other birders to enjoy.

Good Birding and Happy Holidays,

Carl Lundblad
Moscow, ID

Jay:

I have been looking for the A. Dipper every day with no luck, but just downstream from his location I found the winter resident Northern Pintail. Unfortunately, he did not show yesterday, but he was there today.

Also, today was the first day in some time that I did not find any DC Cormorants on my route. And I haven’t seen or heard a Killdeer in well over a week, but I’m still finding PB Grebes and A Coots at Quinn’s Pond.

Any chance you’ll be able to give us some locations on the birds you listed?

Thanks and Merry Christmas to everybody.

Tom McCabe

From: ible@yahoogroups.com [mailto:ible@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Jay Carlisle carlislejay@yahoo.com [ible]
Sent: Saturday, December 22, 2018 9:09 PM
To: IBLE To Post ; Rmagill
Subject: [IBLE] preliminary Boise CBC results

Howdy IBLE

Well over 40 people helped out on a very nice winter day today. Currently sitting at 96 species for count day …

No mega-surprises but a few highlights I heard of:

* 5 owl species!
* multiple Harris’s Sparrows and a returning, now adult-plumaged Golden-crowned Sparrow
* 2+ Double-crested Cormorant (perhaps becoming more regular now?)
* 3+ Anna’s Hummingbirds
* 2 Say’s Phoebe
* 4+ Bewick’s Wrens (among 5 wren species)

A few notable misses:

* Peregrine Falcon (despite a lot of looking downtown)
* Killdeer
* Western Meadowlark (though we have less habitat than historically)
* a few waterfowl including Ruddy Duck, Eurasian Wigeon, & Northern Pintail

Thanks to everyone who helped – especially RL (now retired as compiler to specialize in Zonotrichia sparrow finding 🙂 for passing on key info and Rob Magill for putting it to use in helping compile!

Happy holidays,

Jay

Howdy IBLE
Well over 40 people helped out on a very nice winter day today.  Currently sitting at 96 species for count day …
No mega-surprises but a few highlights I heard of:
– 5 owl species!
– multiple Harris’s Sparrows and a returning, now adult-plumaged Golden-crowned Sparrow
– 2+ Double-crested Cormorant (perhaps becoming more regular now?)
– 3+ Anna’s Hummingbirds
– 2 Say’s Phoebe
– 4+ Bewick’s Wrens (among 5 wren species)
A few notable misses:
– Peregrine Falcon (despite a lot of looking downtown)

– Killdeer
– Western Meadowlark (though we have less habitat than historically)
– a few waterfowl including Ruddy Duck, Eurasian Wigeon, & Northern Pintail

Thanks to everyone who helped – especially RL (now retired as compiler to specialize in Zonotrichia sparrow finding 🙂 for passing on key info and Rob Magill for putting it to use in helping compile!
Happy holidays,
Jay

Hi Jay – Thanks for putting this message on IBLE… even though, of course, we all should be, we may not be aware or remembering the Golden Eagle events page! =)

And gosh, I was thinking the morning splash in the coffee could make for some interesting count numbers? You people will need to leave that mug in the car. hmmmm. Kidding

Happy morning. Happy birds! Excited to out and count, it’s been on my calendar! Come and count you guys – meeting the counters is almost as fun as finding the birds ~ tweet.

> On Dec 19, 2018, at 9:01 PM, Jay Carlisle carlislejay@yahoo.com [ible] wrote:
>
>
> Hi Folks & happy holidays 🙂
>
> I know this has been shared on the Golden Eagle Audubon events page but I wanted to put in an extra plug for any birders that will be in/around Boise this weekend as we would gladly take your help in counting! If you are interested, even if only for part of a day or a small area – including counting birds at your feeder, please contact Robert Magill (rmagill@wswildlife.com ) and myself (carlislejay@yahoo.com ) … especially if you know you would like to lead/co-lead a specific area. Robert is coordinating the pre-count efforts to ensure a smooth transition from the past compiler RL Rowland who provided years of help in the past.
>
> Golden Eagle Audubon Society – Events
>
>
>
> Meeting spot is the Trophy Room, Idaho Fish and Game HQ, 600 S Walnut St, Boise, ID 83712, USA (map ); northeast entrance on the back side of the building. Note that the events page and announcement in the Audubon e-newsletter says to meet at 630am but we’re changing it to 7am (what we’ve done in the past too) – thus, unless you’ve made arrangements with us ahead of time, see you ~7am on Saturday!
>
> There are no fees to participate, just your time, a bit of gas, and some walking. The Boise count circle is divided to provide all counters with an opportunity to count while walking and driving; remember to dress for the weather. We have a lot of habitat to cover, and we need birders to cover all of it. After the count we will meet up at the Trophy Room again for a potluck from 6-7:30 or so. Since this is a state-owned building, NO alcohol is allowed (sorry!).
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jay
>
>
>

Hi Folks & happy holidays 🙂
I know this has been shared on the Golden Eagle Audubon events page but I wanted to put in an extra plug for any birders that will be in/around Boise this weekend as we would gladly take your help in counting!  If you are interested, even if only for part of a day or a small area – including counting birds at your feeder, please contact Robert Magill (rmagill@wswildlife.com) and myself (carlislejay@yahoo.com) … especially if you know you would like to lead/co-lead a specific area.  Robert is coordinating the pre-count efforts to ensure a smooth transition from the past compiler RL Rowland who provided years of help in the past. 

|
|
|
| | |

|

|
|
| |
Golden Eagle Audubon Society – Events

|

|

|

Meeting spot is the Trophy Room, Idaho Fish and Game HQ, 600 S Walnut St, Boise, ID 83712, USA (map); northeast entrance on the back side of the building.  Note that the events page and announcement in the Audubon e-newsletter says to meet at 630am but we’re changing it to 7am (what we’ve done in the past too) – thus, unless you’ve made arrangements with us ahead of time, see you ~7am on Saturday!

There are no fees to participate, just your time, a bit of gas, and some walking. The Boise count circle is divided to provide all counters with an opportunity to count while walking and driving; remember to dress for the weather.  We have a lot of habitat to cover, and we need birders to cover all of it. After the count we will meet up at the Trophy Room again for a potluck from 6-7:30 or so. Since this is a state-owned building, NO alcohol is allowed (sorry!).
Thanks,
Jay

Snow geese are wintering in the valley. They might be here for the winter.

Denise Hughes
Caldwell, Idaho

> On Dec 18, 2018, at 4:55 PM, ruthanngreene@yahoo.com [ible] wrote:
>
> Are Snow Geese currently migrating? I just saw a huge flock of white birds with black tipped wings fly over Meridian at about 4:45 pm today. They looked like snow geese, but I’m not a very good birder.
>
>
>
> Beautiful sight as their bodies were reflecting the sun light.
>
>
>
> Ruthann Greene
>
> North Meridian, ID
>
>

Are Snow Geese currently migrating? I just saw a huge flock of white birds with black tipped wings fly over Meridian at about 4:45 pm today. They looked like snow geese, but I’m not a very good birder.

Beautiful sight as their bodies were reflecting the sun light.

Ruthann Greene
North Meridian, ID

FWIW, an occasional email has taken hours, or days, to deliver for many
years so I don’t think net neutrality is the cause.

Cliff

On 12/18/18 6:34 AM, Paul Plante run4ity@yahoo.com [ible] wrote:
> Most of the problems with internet postings that have occurred
> recently can be directly linked to the elimination of “internet
> neutrality” that Congress passed.  Without internet neutrality, each
> provider can now prioritize whose messages get sent first and whose
> gets sent last as low priority.  IBLE seems to be on the lower portion
> of the providers lists.   In theory, if you PAY more money for higher
> level service, your message will be moved up the prioritized list and
> sent quicker.  Only problem with that is, “It ain’t necessarily so!”.
>
> Firefighters in California paid highest rate for service during the
> major fires this summer and fall and could not get ANY service from
> Verizon.  Verizon’s answer was simply, if they bought the best, the
> system would have worked.  Not much comfort in that kink of response
> from provider.
>
> Not advocating anything, this  is just explanation of what is going on
> and I see it more every day as internet access is also getting more
> difficult at times.  Toss in the new twist of making snow days
> internet learning days in lieu of make up with additional day of
> school at end of term and the internet highway may be more difficult
> to use.
>
>
> paul plante
>

—
Cliff and Lisa Weisse
Island Park, Idaho
cliffandlisa@octobersetters.com

Most of the problems with internet postings that have occurred recently can be directly linked to the elimination of “internet neutrality” that Congress passed.  Without internet neutrality, each provider can now prioritize whose messages get sent first and whose gets sent last as low priority.  IBLE seems to be on the lower portion of the providers lists.   In theory, if you PAY more money for higher level service, your message will be moved up the prioritized list and sent quicker.  Only problem with that is, “It ain’t necessarily so!”.
Firefighters in California paid highest rate for service during the major fires this summer and fall and could not get ANY service from Verizon.  Verizon’s answer was simply, if they bought the best, the system would have worked.  Not much comfort in that kink of response from provider.
Not advocating anything, this  is just explanation of what is going on and I see it more every day as internet access is also getting more difficult at times.  Toss in the new twist of making snow days internet learning days in lieu of make up with additional day of school at end of term and the internet highway may be more difficult to use. 

paul plante