I neglected to mention that the area we surveyed is a parcel of BLM land but there is private mixed in.  Thus, unless you have a property layer on your GPS (like the “Hunt & Fish” chips), likely best to view/listen from the road – and both the pigeon and cuckoo were observable from the road (though the cuckoo was much more secretive and we only knew it was there from the call).  There is a good amount of traffic, especially by 7am, but there are places to safely pull over.

Jay

On Friday, June 16, 2017 12:05 PM, “Jay Carlisle carlislejay@yahoo.com [ible]” <ible-noreply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

[Attachment(s) from Jay Carlisle included below] This morning we (Intermountain Bird Observatory, with Austin of Idaho Fish & Game joining us) performed our first standardized Yellow-billed Cuckoo surveys of the summer. Happily, we had a cuckoo respond on our 5th survey point!! Then, as a bonus, Austin found & photographed a Band-tailed Pigeon in a cottonwood along W Magic Rd.

Here are pictures (from Austin’s camera screen 🙂

We already submitted an eBird list as we wanted to get the word out soon but are just now finishing our morning of surveys & have time to provide details.

As a reminder, since the western distinct population segment of Yellow-billed Cuckoo was listed as threatened a couple years ago, a US Fish & Wildlife Service permit is required for any use of playback for this species (which we possess for these surveys).  Thus, people are welcome to look for the cuckoo but not use playback.  The pigeon was seen from the road at ~43.2023 -114.3413.

Thanks,

Jay

Sent from my iPhone

This morning we (Intermountain Bird Observatory, with Austin of Idaho Fish & Game joining us) performed our first standardized Yellow-billed Cuckoo surveys of the summer. Happily, we had a cuckoo respond on our 5th survey point!! Then, as a bonus, Austin found & photographed a Band-tailed Pigeon in a cottonwood along W Magic Rd.

Here are pictures (from Austin’s camera screen 🙂

We already submitted an eBird list as we wanted to get the word out soon but are just now finishing our morning of surveys & have time to provide details.

As a reminder, since the western distinct population segment of Yellow-billed Cuckoo was listed as threatened a couple years ago, a US Fish & Wildlife Service permit is required for any use of playback for this species (which we possess for these surveys). Thus, people are welcome to look for the cuckoo but not use playback. The pigeon was seen from the road at ~43.2023 -114.3413.

Thanks,

Jay

Sent from my iPhone

I think what Bill meant to say is that he’d appreciate it if locations
were included with reports. So just a friendly reminder, not everyone
knows who you are or where you live so please try to remember to include
a location in your posts. City, County, etc. Thanks in advance.

Cliff

On 06/15/2017 01:44 PM, Bill Moore hootowlbill@gmail.com [ible] wrote:
>
> Where?
>
>
> Without a location a post means nothing to me and isn’t something I
> can use if I wanted to.
>
>
> Bill Moore
> Inkom
>> On Jun 15, 2017, at 12:16 PM, Janet Philips bendvet@cableone.net
>> [ible] > > wrote:
>>
>> Last night’s plan to eat downtown had an exciting diversion. We had
>> just parked the car and saw a bird hopping down the middle of 9th
>> Street just south of Main St. Cars screeched to a halt and horns
>> blared. A minute later, I saw an immature Peregrine Falcon hopping
>> toward me along the curb. I herded him into the corner of a
>> storefront and threw my jacket over him. He did not struggle at all
>> when I bundled him up and carried him away. We called a few numbers
>> and I texted Heidi Ware who gave me a name at Idaho Fish and Game.
>> The fellow who manages the nest box called us in about an hour and we
>> made arrangements for him to pick the young guy up the next morning.
>> He was the man who banded the fledglings and said they end up
>> rescuing a few every spring. We talked about the trouble getting
>> enough lift in-between the buildings especially when they prematurely
>> exit from the nest. He was no worse for his ordeal and was back in
>> the nest soon. Cool!!
>>
>
>

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

Where?

Without a location a post means nothing to me and isn’t something I can use if I wanted to.

Bill Moore
Inkom
> On Jun 15, 2017, at 12:16 PM, Janet Philips bendvet@cableone.net [ible] wrote:
>
> Last night’s plan to eat downtown had an exciting diversion. We had just parked the car and saw a bird hopping down the middle of 9th Street just south of Main St. Cars screeched to a halt and horns blared. A minute later, I saw an immature Peregrine Falcon hopping toward me along the curb. I herded him into the corner of a storefront and threw my jacket over him. He did not struggle at all when I bundled him up and carried him away. We called a few numbers and I texted Heidi Ware who gave me a name at Idaho Fish and Game. The fellow who manages the nest box called us in about an hour and we made arrangements for him to pick the young guy up the next morning. He was the man who banded the fledglings and said they end up rescuing a few every spring. We talked about the trouble getting enough lift in-between the buildings especially when they prematurely exit from the nest. He was no worse for his ordeal and was back in the nest soon. Cool!!
>
>

Last night’s plan to eat downtown had an exciting diversion. We had just parked the car and saw a bird hopping down the middle of 9th Street just south of Main St. Cars screeched to a halt and horns blared. A minute later, I saw an immature Peregrine Falcon hopping toward me along the curb. I herded him into the corner of a storefront and threw my jacket over him. He did not struggle at all when I bundled him up and carried him away. We called a few numbers and I texted Heidi Ware who gave me a name at Idaho Fish and Game. The fellow who manages the nest box called us in about an hour and we made arrangements for him to pick the young guy up the next morning. He was the man who banded the fledglings and said they end up rescuing a few every spring. We talked about the trouble getting enough lift in-between the buildings especially when they prematurely exit from the nest. He was no worse for his ordeal and was back in the nest soon. Cool!!

Every day when I start out on my bike ride, I head for the neighborhood
Swainson’s Hawk nest a few blocks away. Sometimes this can be a predictor of
the day’s birding quality. Today it was a big time predictor (or is that
“bigly?”).

Anyway, I didn’t see anybody on the nest but then I heard a Swainson’s above
me. When I looked up, I was confused because there was a Red-tailed Hawk
circling. Then I realized there was a Swainson’s trying to herd the Red-tail
away from the nest. Then it got better when both Swainson’s started herding.
A double treat.

My usual next stop is the neighborhood Cooper’s Hawk nest a few blocks
further on. When I got there, I couldn’t see any activity. Then I saw a
buteo flying nearby (the Red-tail?), and a Cooper’s appeared from the trees
above my head and went after the buteo like a rocket. What a great start to
my bike ride.

At Esther Simplot Park I found an Osprey circling, along with almost all of
the usual suspects. And as I crossed the foot bridge to the south side, an
A. Kestrel did a little dog fight with a RWBB. Twenty-nine birds and I was
only a few miles into my ride. This was great because Kestrels are not all
that common along the river these days.

Along the way to Ann Morrison, I picked up a Great Blue Heron and BB Magpie.
And as I came into the park, the resident Gray Catbird decided to show off
for me. This was followed by a Western Wood Pewee that kept calling to me,
plus a few more swallows and then a surprise Warbling Vireo. Final treat
from the park was a female Common Merganser, a bird I haven’t seen in weeks.

Final tally was 44 birds in a little over 10 miles of biking. Luck and
timing strike again!

Tom McCabe, Boise

I haven’t been back but I’ve seen a handful of reports in my inbox courtesy of eBird’s rare bird alert:

6/5: Dale and Dee Toweill

6/4: Lew Ulrey

5/31: RL Rowland

5/30: Cheryl Huizinga

5/29: Ian/William Hearn

5/29: Jason Talbot

5/29: Heidi Ware

5/28: Jon Curd

Hope this helps.

Stoddard Davenport

Boise

________________________________
From: ible@yahoogroups.com on behalf of Jonathan jrb4jc@hotmail.com [ible]
Sent: Monday, June 12, 2017 7:35 PM
To: ible@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [IBLE] Re: White-winged Dove is back at the Warm Springs Golf Course [Boise]

HI – has anyone seen the White-winged Dove since Stoddard’s post last Wednesday? Thx…Jonathan

________________________________
From: ible@yahoogroups.com on behalf of Stoddard Davenport s_g_davenport@hotmail.com [ible]
Sent: Wednesday, May 24, 2017 9:34 AM
To: ible@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [IBLE] White-winged Dove is back at the Warm Springs Golf Course [Boise]

Hi IBLErs,

I got an early morning tip from Missy Arnold that a White-winged Dove was present at the Warm Springs Golf Course. Presumably this is the same individual that’s used the area on and off for a couple of years now. I made it over there a little after 8 and could hear it calling from deep within one of the large pine trees between the clubhouse and the greenbelt, but couldn’t get a visual. It kept going silent as I approached, and must have flown out the backside (towards the clubhouse) as I approached from the greenbelt, because I heard it calling again in some trees on the far side of the clubhouse as well. I ran out of time to try to get a visual on it before I had to get back to work, but others may have better luck.

Thanks for the heads up Missy!

Good birding!

Stoddard Davenport

Boise

HI – has anyone seen the White-winged Dove since Stoddard’s post last Wednesday? Thx…Jonathan

________________________________
From: ible@yahoogroups.com on behalf of Stoddard Davenport s_g_davenport@hotmail.com [ible]
Sent: Wednesday, May 24, 2017 9:34 AM
To: ible@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [IBLE] White-winged Dove is back at the Warm Springs Golf Course [Boise]

Hi IBLErs,

I got an early morning tip from Missy Arnold that a White-winged Dove was present at the Warm Springs Golf Course. Presumably this is the same individual that’s used the area on and off for a couple of years now. I made it over there a little after 8 and could hear it calling from deep within one of the large pine trees between the clubhouse and the greenbelt, but couldn’t get a visual. It kept going silent as I approached, and must have flown out the backside (towards the clubhouse) as I approached from the greenbelt, because I heard it calling again in some trees on the far side of the clubhouse as well. I ran out of time to try to get a visual on it before I had to get back to work, but others may have better luck.

Thanks for the heads up Missy!

Good birding!

Stoddard Davenport

Boise

There is a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher near Camas NWR (Jefferson County). It’s on a dirt road that parallels the main entrance road into Camas (2300 north). To get there drive the main road towards Camas, before you get to the headquarters, turn left onto 2200 east then before you get into the refuge turn left onto 2300N. The bird was about a half mile down the road on the north side of the road sort of near the 2nd house on the left.

Darren Clark
Rexburg

Sent from my iPhone

FWIW, I’ve thought some of the SB Dowitchers we see in Island Park are
of the Prairie/hendersoni ssp because of the limited black markings on
the flanks. I’ve sent photos around to west coast shorebirders and
received no support for hendersoni. Apparently many birds of the west
coast/caurinus ssp look very much like these birds and can be
confidently assigned to that taxon. If memory serves the entirely orange
underparts of hendersoni was a key point of distinction and our birds
all had at least some white below. Not sure about some of the brighter
juveniles we see in fall but that’s what I learned about our spring SBDOs.

Cliff

On 06/10/2017 10:10 AM, ‘Larry Arnold’ larnold47@cableone.net [ible] wrote:
> Wish Sibley would include ssp names, not just ranges, so I could
> cross-examine the bird 😉 because it strikes me most as L. g.
> hendersoni (ssp of SB) per Kaufman, based on the appearance of flanks
> and belly in the first photo below. But is this a stretch, since the
> range of hendersoni is more Prairie than Pacific (where L. g. caurinus
> lurks), even tho Kaufman drops a little hint on pg 69 that hendersoni
> is not impossible hereabouts?

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