Find the bird and name it they really blend in

You all may recall my past messages about seeing small white-cheeked geese
in the Pocatello area. They were increasing steadily in numbers through
the winter. But, I did not find a single one yesterday when I visited 4 of
the main feeding/loafing areas for Canada geese that I’ve been watching
around here. I did see several hundred moffitti/maxima Canada geese though.

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

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There is a neat drone video of wintering waterfowl at Minidoka NWR on the
Southeast Idaho National Wildlife Refuge Complex Facebook page if anyone is
interested! It can be seen by clicking on
https://www.facebook.com/SEIdahoRefuges/.

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

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On my way back from a chilly ride, I was pleasantly surprised by a Say’s
Phoebe at Esther Simplot Park. It was quite active, which is what attracted
my attention. Even though the weather was cold and gray, and seemingly
inhospitable to insects, the bird was exhibiting “fly-catching” behavior as
it worked its way around the main pond. I have seen Say’s Phoebes in this
vicinity from early spring to late fall, but this is the earliest I can
remember seeing one, although they’ve nested near the back pond for several
years. I guess I wouldn’t have been as surprised if the weather had been
balmy like last week. Another first of year bird!

Tom McCabe, Boise

The other day I said I was at the world bird center tx. I learned there is
more than one I in Texas I’m at bentsen rio grande st.park

Well, my hopes for a good winter finch irruption season are fading. I’m feeding numerous American Goldfinches, Juncos, BC Chickadees & House Finches.

I was getting an increasing number of Eurasian Collared Doves but between a juvenile N Goshawk & an adult Sharp-shinned Hawk, their numbers have dropped from 15+ to 2 or 3. For several weeks, I was finding a feather pile & an occasional partial dove carcass every 2-3 days in the yard. Guess the Eurasian Collared Dove didn’t evolve to evade the American Accipiters. They certainly make for easy prey…a lumbering, flapping take-off being hit by a missile with wings.

The only “irruption” bird I have is a single Red-breasted Nuthatch & as time goes on, it’s appearing that this species may be a year-round resident at our Snake River altitude. I find them year-round at the cabin but as various conifers mature in our area, along with available cavities in cottonwoods & aspen, maybe I’ll get nesting at some point.

Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot

World birding center tx. Yesterday 3:30on great kiskadee-green Jay
-altimera Oriole today a.m.chacalaca – buff breasted hummer -olive sparrow
photos all except sparrow life is great when birding acha badomay sarugay
old African saying

When I got to Remington St. today, the infield pond at Les Bois was pretty
much empty (there was a RT Hawk in a tree right above it), and I only had 28
birds. Then, when I got to my usual turnaround spot, there were a number of
people there, so I just kept going.

I didn’t get bird 29 (Cal. Quail) until the first dredge pond-miles past my
usual turnaround– and bird 30 (RN Duck) was on the next to last pond. But
along the way I saw 8 RT Hawks before I got to Laguna Pointe (my ultimate
turnaround), and another 4-5 on the way back. And lots of different plumage
variations. My impression was that they were generally in pairs, especially
the last 2 who were sitting side by side on a branch.

Bird 35 was a Bald Eagle sitting next to a very large nest in the middle of
the Cormorant/Heron rookery. I had been told that the rookery had to move
last year because the Bald Eagles decided to nest in the middle of their
turf, but I had not seen it myself.

I also saw a Black-billed Magpie carrying nest material in its beak, and
when I caught up with it, the bird was doing some home improvement on a
nest. And a pair of C. Ravens were perched together near 49th St. in Garden
City.

I don’t know the “normal” nesting times for all these birds, but it appears
that the warm weather has some birds at least thinking of “making whoopee.”

Final tally was 38 birds in 23 miles and I was glad to get home.

Tom McCabe, Boise

Another good resource for telling the small white-cheeked geese apart
“Field Guide to the Geese Willamette Valley and Lower Columbia River.”

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/hunting/waterfowl/goose-permits/docs/Goosefieldguide_2ndEdition_final.pdf

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

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Thank you. These guys are always a challenge.

> On Feb 6, 2018, at 5:09 AM, Cliff and Lisa cliffandlisa@octobersetters.com [ible] wrote:
>
>
> As requested, here are Harry’s Cackling Goose pages from the old Idaho Birds site:
> https://idahobirds.net/identification/cackling.html
> This is the table of contents to the pages. I recommend opening them in a new tab or window in order to keep the contents handy. Don’t try to use the Identification Page link that’s on the pages. That’s broken and will just re-route you to the Idaho Birds home.
>
> I would like to add Cackling Goose and the rest of Harry’s ID writings to the new site when I can, but until that’s done the above address should work. If anyone has any problems viewing it let me know.
> Lisa
>
>
> On 02/05/2018 10:22 AM, ‘Kahl, Steve’ Steve_Kahl@fws.gov [ible] wrote:
>>
>> All – Just wanted to say thanks for your input. I am enjoying the process of learning and hoping I can shed some light on the subspecies of CANG/CACG that winter in our area, and not just taking for granted that they are all moffitti because that is what they are “supposed” to be.
>>
>> Interestingly, the numbers of these smaller geese continues to climb around here. Sat I counted over 700 CANG loafing/preening at the Pocatello Water Pollution Control Plant pond. At LEAST 50 were these smaller birds. I especially noted a group of 6 that separated themselves from the rest of the masses and took off as a (perhaps family) group.
>>
>> Part of my thought process about these possibly being parvipes birds is that the range maps in Baldassare’s Ducks, Geese, and Swans of NA (the update to the famous Frank Bellrose tome) shows parvipes wintering in all of ID, but the SE. In contrast, the map for Taverner’s CACG show them wintering in far west OR/WA. Thus, it would seem to be that the closer wintering population would be more likely to show up here.
>>
>> I did more research on Taverner’s and it underscored the size similarity w/ parvipes that has been mentioned. Coming from the east, where Richardson’s is the typical CACG, I am used to cacklers being very small and obvious..
>>
>> I’m working on the pictures, but can’t seem to get close enough to the birds to get decent snaps. The geese around here still seem very jittery from the waterfowl season.
>>
>> I have not been able to find Krueger’s treatise on these birds. I can find Google hits for it. But they all bring me to the Idaho Birds home page and the article does not seem to be located there anymore. If anybody by chance has a hard copy or some other means to see it let me know.
>>
>> Thanks again!
>>
>> Steven F. Kahl
>> Deputy Project Leader
>> Southeast Idaho National Wildlife Refuge Complex
>> 4425 Burley Dr., Ste. A
>> Chubbuck, ID 83202
>> P (208) 237-6615 ext 112
>> F (208) 237-8213
>>
>> Like and follow us on Facebook !
>
> —
> Cliff and Lisa Weisse
> Island Park, Idaho
> cliffandlisa@octobersetters.com
>
>

Ken Miracle
chukar28@icloud.com
208-908-9493
“Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” 2COR 3:5