We’ve had a few Pine Grosbeaks in the neighborhood for a while now and
they make a call that sounds a little like a Robin, at least to my ear.
Hearing what I thought was a robin this morning I assumed it was a
grosbeak but then it started singing – definitely a robin. It’s a bit
early up here as the snow is still pushing 3 feet deep in the yard. We
also heard a flock of crossbills fly over, the second this week, and
some Trumpeter Swans flew over headed north a few nights ago. Spring is
still a ways off but it’s nice to see some different birds showing up.

Cliff

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

Given the fact that Tuesday’s bike ride was longer than usual, I was
thinking about a shorter one for yesterday. Fortunately, the birds didn’t
get the word and they came out in force. The neighborhood Red-tails started
me off, then I found my GH Owl again (sadly, his/her nest tree got blown
over on Tuesday night’s storm). And just downstream from Willow Lane, on the
Boise side, I found an immature Northern Goshawk-what a treat!

My decision to shorten my ride came when I got back to the Garden City side
at Veterans Parkway and headed back upstream instead of my usual downstream
run. My reward was a Merlin across the river at the upper end of Veterans
Pond, and while I was stopped for the Merlin, a Bald Eagle did circles above
me and then took up his usual perch overlooking the river and Veterans Pond.

I finished the ride with 39 birds in a little over 11 miles. But then on our
usual walk after dark, the Western Screech Owls were calling from all around
us. Forty birds (I like round numbers) and 6 of them were raptors.

Tom McCabe, Boise

P.S. The W. Screech Owls woke me up around 5 this morning to remind me to
start my day list for Thursday. They were followed after daylight by the
Red-tails. 😉

Howdy,
There are several thousand Snow Geese roosting on south side of American Falls Reservoir near Rainbow Beach. This afternoon many were in wheat fields south of I-86, just west of Rainbow Beach exit. There are several blue morphs in the flock, as well as several Ross’s Geese.
Good Birding,
Chuck Trost

Always forward, never straight…

Since I’ve been regularly reaching my Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of
30 species, and occasionally reaching my Highly Recommended Daily Allowance
(HRDA) of 40, I decided to try for my Extreme Daily Allowance of 50.

My day started with a visit to my yard by the local Sharp-shinned Hawk. Then
I discovered one of my local Red-tails parked in a tree down the street.
While watching him/her, I noticed a large black bird across the street.
Since I already had a Crow, I wanted this bird to be a C. Raven, but we all
know how tempting it is to squint a little and see what you want to see.
(OK, maybe I shouldn’t project-maybe I’m the only one tempted that way).
Anyway, the large black bird did a little Raven “bongos” and I was sure of
its identity.

By the time I left the house I had 11 birds, 15 by the time I got to Esther
Simplot, and 28 as I headed down river. I took a little detour to an area
where I used to see Great Horned Owls, and I found my first of the year.
(Yay!)

I left Remington St. with 38, but I’d already decided I needed 50, so I
headed west. At the first dredge pond west of Glenwood, I found my first of
year Canvasback for #40, so I had my HRDA. And by the time I got to the old
rookery, I had 44, thanks to the Mute Swans, Cal. Quail, Cormorants and
Ring-necked Ducks. I stopped to watch the Eagle’s nest, hoping one of the
adults would peek over the top, but instead an adult flew to the nest and
gave me great views.

The pond at Laguna Pointe provided a cornucopia of waterfowl, including both
Goldeneye, RN Ducks, Greater Scaup, Buffleheads, and more Canvasbacks. The
Scaup and Buffleheads put me at 47. And thanks to Jason Talbot telling me of
the new location of the heronry, I then found my first GB Heron of the day.
Since I hadn’t been to Eagle Road in a while, I continued on, but found
nothing new.

So I was heading back with 48 birds and doing a mental inventory of what was
possible. I stopped again at Laguna Pointe and BINGO! I spotted my first
Hooded Merganser of the day. Forty-nine down and one to go.

I was all the way back to 52d St. in Garden City when I found #50. There are
a couple of feeders along the greenbelt that attract a variety of birds,
including my first Pine Siskin of the day. (Double Yay!) Ironically, I
usually find Pine Siskins in my back yard before I ever get on my bike (but
of course my local Sharpie had scared everybody away).

So I was almost back to Esther Simplot when I met up with Susan (who is not
as addicted as I am), and she got me all excited because she had just seen
an Osprey dive into the river to take a fish, right by the Whitewater Park.
That little surge of adrenaline got me almost to Main St. before I finally
gave up without finding the Osprey. But now I know at least one Osprey is
back. 😉

By the time I got home my odometer said I’d gone 23 miles. I was a bit
bushed, but what a great way to spend a day.

Tom McCabe, Boise

Note from RL……….. I wasn’t going to include his P.S., but what the heck, RL has an advanced sense of humor 😉

From: R L ROWLAND RONALD ROWLAND [mailto:rlrowland@centurylink.net]
Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2018 12:22 PM
To: Larry Arnold
Subject: Tick Season is here

Larry, RL here.

Sometime you drop a note to “ible” you might add a little thing from me.

Yesterday, while out in the wilds of Elmore Co. chasing after the elusive Tufted Duck, got it BTW, I picked up my first ticks of the season. I know it is way early, but, nonetheless, I got at least two, so far. Found one on me at MH Res. and another this morning here in my house, probably picked up at Hot Spgs. Ck. Res. when I had to go thru the brush.

‘Bout it. CGB. RL

P.S. I think it is going to be a banner year for ticks and Trump. In this reddest of Red States be sure to be “liberal”, read bluest, in your use of repellents.

Teton County, Idaho March 11, 2018
Packsaddle Estates northwest end of valley

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch approx 50 (down from over 200 last month)
Pine Grosbeak 12
Clark’s Nutcracker 2
Steller’s Jay 1
Black-billed Magpie 2
Dark-eyed Junco (pink-sided) 3
Mountain Bluebird 1 male along road in farm field below subdivision FOY
Mountain Chickadee few
Black-capped Chickadee 6 singing
Red-breasted Nuthatch 2

Susan Patla

Just and FYI for interested folks of neat bird I heard about the other day
from a friend in Oregon. I know this went around in Feb. but its still
relevant. The observer is reported to know Red-shouldered Hawks quite well.
Thanks!

*From: *Lars Per Norgren
*Subject: **[obol] Red-shouldered Hawk ID/OR*
*Date: *March 11, 2018 at 9:56:37 AM PDT
*To: *OBOL Online
*Reply-To: *larspernorgren@gmail.com

Around Feb 16 I saw a hawk fly across the Snake River into Idaho that
I suspected was a Red-shoulder. Friday morning (3/9)I got looks at an
immature hawk in bad light on the Idaho side (Whitley Bottom) then
Saturday morning
I saw it
on Morton Island [43.990693, -116.947742], the Oregon side under excellent
light. It was perched with its back to me. I studied it at length, then as
I got out my new phone to attempt digiscoping it took flight and returned
to the Idaho side. Interested folks are welcome to contact me for more
details. Lars

—
Austin Young
Pocatello

RL and I observed the duck at 115 and is still here. In narrowest part of
reservoir about in middle.

Hanging near L. Scaup actively feeding. Took us 2.5 hrs to locate.
Apparently has moved around the reservoir quite a bit today.

RL thanks for finding this LIFER for me today and Cheryl and Denise for
posting the original finding yesterday.

Danette Henderson
Boise

The Evening Grosbeaks I reported a few weeks ago are still present in varying numbers, this morning I saw 8 of them, but one day last week, there were 17, all but one were males. The birds have always been in the bushes along the racetrack side of the road, sometimes scattered in split groups, sometimes altogether. Often they feed on the ground right on the roadside. They have now been there for almost a month.  
Good birding!
John Shortis.

Tufted Duck still at Mt.Home Reservoir. Found initially (10:00) at SE end of reservoir but the group moved off to the middle and then to the SW end where I found it again. With Lesser Scaup initially but joined Common Goldeneyes and Buffelhead at SW end