Before I could even get dressed this morning, I noticed a commotion in the
back corner of the yard. Binoculars revealed a fairly large Sharp-shinned
Hawk on top of a still struggling Mourning Dove. Since we haven’t seen a
Sharpie in the yard for a while, I sat down with binos and watched the scene
play out. The Sharpie kept plucking at the back of the head of the dove,
which struggled for a long time. At one point, when I hadn’t seen any signs
of life from the dove in some time, the dove suddenly made a huge effort to
get out from under and they were both flapping their wings as they fought.

Eventually the struggle ended, and the Sharpie continued to pluck feathers.
Then I started seeing some red so I went about my morning routine, with
occasional stops by the window. After a while even the Sharpie was still,
but his crop was huge by this time. I watched until he flew away, and then I
went out for some “clean up on aisle nine.” For some reason I thought there
would be something besides feathers, but other than a few red spots on the
snow, feathers was all that remained. So beak, skull, legs, wings, rib cage,
etc., were all inside the Sharpie when he flew away. Amazing, and quite a
show.

Tom McCabe, Boise

Interestingly, I found the 1st winter Harris’ Sparrow feeding beneath a cottonwood this afternoon, with a group of 7 juncos. I always scatter some black-oil sunflower seeds underneath that particular tree, to keep the Spotted Towhees coming in. The sparrow allowed for satisfying, lengthy binocular observation. So, he’s still around, too.

Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot

Just got home from Island Park & filled my feeders. Before I could even get back into the house, my Blue Jay flew in & immediately started filling his crop with seeds. So, in spite of single digit lows the past week, he’s still here. Nice to know at least 2 are in SE Idaho.

Also, at Osborne Bridge crossing Henry’s Fk, I counted a total of 35 Trumpeter Swans yesterday. This AM, at the house, I had a group of 20 fly over. I’ve seen as many as 150 in a single group in the area where Chuck reported his sightings. So, depending on the winter, can get such numbers in the surrounding fields. Seems that early single digit cold temps with snow, will concentrate them, esp in winter wheat & alfalfa fields.

Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot

Wow! How typical is it to have large flicks of Trumpeter Swans at AFR? Are
they just resting prior to further migration or do they winter in the area?

Diann Stone Boise Depot Bench

On Sat, Dec 8, 2018, 5:42 PM Chuck Trost trostchuck@cableone.net [ible] < ible-noreply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

>
>
> Howdy,
> This after noon I counted Trumpeter Swans in fields on both sides of AFR.
> On the NW side along about 3 miles of Vambaur Rd. there were 456 resting
> and feeding in snowy fields. And on Rio Vista Rd near Sheepskin Rd on the
> Fort Hall Reservation there were 180, for a total of 636! No neck collars
> were seen. Much of the upper end of the reservoir was frozen, as was some
> of Springfield Ponds.
> Good Birding!
> Chuck Trost
>
> Always forward, never straight…
>
>

4 p.m.lower dam 4 common golden eyes outlet canal golden eye still around
also 1 great blue Heron 1 kestrel

Howdy,
This after noon I counted Trumpeter Swans in fields on both sides of AFR.
On the NW side along about 3 miles of Vambaur Rd. there were 456 resting and feeding in snowy fields. And on Rio Vista Rd near Sheepskin Rd on the Fort Hall Reservation there were 180, for a total of 636! No neck collars were seen. Much of the upper end of the reservoir was frozen, as was some of Springfield Ponds.
Good Birding!
Chuck Trost

Always forward, never straight…

The Blue Jay is still hanging around our Labelle neighborhood (1.5 miles
Northeast of Rigby).

Michael D. Hunter

+1-435-830-2285

Had a nice day of birding in the Pocatello area yesterday. Started off in
the backyard in Chubbuck where the Harris’s Sparrow made it through the
night. Appearances by a Merlin, an imm Sharp-shinned Hawk, and an immature
Northern Goshawk were cool. A nice walk at Edson Fichter Nature Area was
punctuated by a Cackling Goose in with a flock of Canada Geese. The flock
was headed north so I suspected they were headed toward Lundburg Pond where
Canadas often roost/loaf through the winter, so that’s where I headed
next. I was lucky and the cackler was there and I was able to get pictures
to attach to my eBird report (https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S50463239).
I’d appreciate any feedback supporting or disputing the ID. Four Wood
Ducks were also at Lundburg. At the wetlands along W. Siphon Rd I was
fortunate to be looking up as a Wilson’s Snipe zoomed past. It appears the
Marsh Wrens that were there last week may have succumbed to the cold, but
there was still a Yellow-rumped Warbler. Lastly, at about 9:30pm my wife
and I were serenaded by a pair of Great Horned Owls that seemed to be right
behind my house!

Steven F. Kahl
Deputy Project Leader
Southeast Idaho National Wildlife Refuge Complex
4425 Burley Dr., Ste. A
Chubbuck, ID 83202
C (208) 252-0805
P (208) 237-6615 ext 112
F (208) 237-8213

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It’s a first-year bird here too. I was out at dawn yesterday hoping to get
pictures of it. I was starting to think it moved on as the house finches,
juncos, chickadees and others went through their first frenzy of feeding in
the morning and there was no sign of the Harris’s Sparrow. It wasn’t until
about 9:15 that it finally came in, but only for a matter of seconds. It
stayed much longer in the late afternoon.

Steven F. Kahl
Deputy Project Leader
Southeast Idaho National Wildlife Refuge Complex
4425 Burley Dr., Ste. A
Chubbuck, ID 83202
C (208) 252-0805
P (208) 237-6615 ext 112
F (208) 237-8213

*Like and follow us on Facebook
!*

YES!! Thinking everyone needs one of those =)
Happy Holidays!

> On Dec 4, 2018, at 3:18 PM, LARRY ARNOLD larnold47@cableone.net [ible] wrote:
>
> [Attachment(s) from LARRY ARNOLD included below]
>
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> from somewhere on the planet, not sure of the source.
>
> Missy and I enjoyed a fun morning of birding along the east end of Boise Greenbelt, with 6 sp of raptors including Prairie Falcon, 3 sp of wrens, and both sp of kinglets
> 16F at the outset, it was great to see the sun again on a calm day here in River City
>
> Larry
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