My latest foray into Hulls Gulch resulted in a couple more first of year
birds. While I would expect to find an Olive-sided Flycatcher in HG, I was
quite surprised by the Northern Harrier being chased by several RWBB’s. He
was a male, and I haven’t seen one on a bike ride in several years.

The bird gods were smiling and I left HG with 39 species and finished a 14
mile ride with 51. If I hadn’t had an appointment in the afternoon, I
probably would have kept going. But my experience is that those last few
birds above 50 cost a lot more in terms of miles ridden. 😉

Anyway, another great day of birding. And while I’m still finding Western
Tanagers, I have yet to encounter my first Western Wood Pewee.

Tom McCabe, Boise

Forw arding for Idaho.
——– Original Message ——–
Subject: [obol] Great-tailed Grackles in Ontario
Date: 05-21-2018 18:02
From: Matt Cahill
To: OBOL
Reply-To: matt.c.cahill@gmail.com

Hi all,

On my way to Boise I’ve stopped at the Beck-Kiwanis Park in Ontario and
immediately found 5 GTGR (1 male, 4 females) that are moving and around
the bathroom and actively displaying. Lots of displaying. Only a few
eBird records out here previously so I figured it was worth a statewide
ping. Not sure where to post for the Idaho audience so if anyone knows
please forward this for me.

Best,
Matt Cahill 
Bend

I filled my sunflower seed feeder & went into the house, looked out the window & a male Lazuli Bunting had landed on the feeder. So, all my favs have now either arrived or I saw them migrating through. Good times!

Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot

Hi – sorry for the late posting; two of my children were in a terrible accident (they are both alive, which was miraculous under the circumstances, thank God), so I’ve been in a fog for several days; but I just remembered now to mention that I got a new yard bird the evening of the 16th – Wilson’s Snipes winnowing overhead. I recognized their sound immediately, so it was fun to scan the sky and try to see them – much harder than you would think, lol. Fyi…Jonathan Barnett, Horseshoe Bend

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

Hi birders,

This afternoon Ellen and I bumped into a flock of ibis in a flooded pasture west of Curlew Campground / east of the Stone Hills, and had one bird that looked like a pretty good candidate for Glossy. It had blueish gray feathering forming an incomplete line around the eye, black skin on the cheek, and a dark brown eye rather than red. I didn’t get a look at the legs. Our eBird checklist with the specific location and a photo can be found here:

https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S45885224

I know there’s been more talk of hybridization over the past few years, but I didn’t see anything to point to a hybrid on this bird. I’m happy to hear input from others if there’s something I’m missing.

Good birding!

Stoddard and Ellen Davenport

Boise

By trial & error, I found that the “berry suet” doesn’t attract starlings. So, that’s the only suet I’ll put out now. I purchase it already packaged. There are multiple others but the “berry” one attracts only woodpeckers, nuthatches & chickadees. Plus, the occasional comical magpie trying to hover to nab a piece of suet from the basket. I put the suet block in a basket feeder & only from late fall through the winter.

Brian Carrigan

Doesn’t the suet block attract starlings?

MaDWhitham
It’s not the years in your life, it’s the life in your years!!!

On May 20, 2018, at 3:38 PM, lcarrigan_55@yahoo.com [ible] wrote:

For Sharon, my direct email response to your question wouldn’t go through. But, answering, I only feed black-oil sunflower seeds, Nyjer seed & a berry suet block. I stopped all “mixed” bird seeds years ago, as any of the mixes I tried all attracted House Sparrows. Didn’t matter what the mix combination was, House Sparrows would arrive.

Since going to “straight” seeds as noted, I get maybe 5 or 6 House Sparrows a year now. Believe the last one I saw at the feeder was a lone male for about a half day, last month. Last year I started a hummingbird feeder again &, now, a bright orange plastic Oriole feeder with 2 pegs for orange halves & 2 cups for jam. The Orioles love it! I have stopped the suet & always do when the weather warms up, as it can get rancid quickly. Hope this helps.

Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot

For Sharon, my direct email response to your question wouldn’t go through. But, answering, I only feed black-oil sunflower seeds, Nyjer seed & a berry suet block. I stopped all “mixed” bird seeds years ago, as any of the mixes I tried all attracted House Sparrows. Didn’t matter what the mix combination was, House Sparrows would arrive.

Since going to “straight” seeds as noted, I get maybe 5 or 6 House Sparrows a year now. Believe the last one I saw at the feeder was a lone male for about a half day, last month. Last year I started a hummingbird feeder again &, now, a bright orange plastic Oriole feeder with 2 pegs for orange halves & 2 cups for jam. The Orioles love it! I have stopped the suet & always do when the weather warms up, as it can get rancid quickly. Hope this helps.

Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot

Today has presented a big change in feeder visitors. Appears all the Pine Siskins, Cassin’s Finches & about 1/2 the Am Goldfinches have moved on during the night. The Black-headed Grosbeaks, House Finches & remaining Goldfinches are the main visitors today. And, the Bullock’s Orioles have changed the pattern to visiting their feeder today.

Yesterday, they would announce their arrival with their call, perch in a tree for a bit, then fly in & attack both an orange half & jam cup. Today, they’re stealth visitors. No song, still perch in a tree & then suddenly appear at the feeder. Then, they take off just as silently. Interesting. Maybe, starting to nest & trying not to draw attention to themselves. Others today have been Violet-green & Tree Swallows.

Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot

At lake Lowell West of Nampa many nesting cliff swallows structure off of
upper dam.probably 200 or more mud nest easy to photograph sibley guide to
bird behavior states they use about 1000 mud pellets to construct them