There’s been a definite increase in Fall migration activity this week. Starting with owls. This week, have awakened to ~2 AM calls from: N Pygmy, Saw-whet, W Screech & Great-horned Owls. The first two are “altitudinal migrants”, tending to appear in the Fall as they descend from mountain to river valley levels, & one each on different nights. By personal choice, I don’t play tapes or shine lights & only identify by their calls. When I get the occasional chance visual sighting, that’s a bonus.
Yesterday evening, had a good rush of Yellow-rumped Warblers come through, around 40+, working at treetop height of cottonwoods & Russian olives trees. Others: House Wren, Red-naped Sapsucker & Red-breasted Nuthatch. Also, had a couple of 75+ Mallard group fly-overs. Along, with what’s shaping up to be a banner color year & a respectable brown trout Fall-run, I’m definitely enjoying the season!
This morning I was floating the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River just below Chester Dam and saw a juvenile Sabine’s Gull flying up the river. When it came close to the boat it actually tried to catch the minnow imitation we had on the line just below the surface. Later in the morning it came back downstream and flew off down the river and wasn’t seen again. Also in the same location there was a Great Egret flying down the river but we never saw it land.
Cliff
— Cliff and Lisa Weisse Island Park, Idaho cliffandlisa@…
I have not been there for a week but very doubtful it was no where near that yet.
On Sep 16, 2024, at 10:43 PM, Robert Kiernan via groups.io <photobirder@…> wrote:
Does anyone know water level ?? can one go straight away from parking lot and cross to other side of the resv
Ken Miracle chukar28@… 208-570-2780 “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” 2COR 3:5
During fall migration the first step in any shorebird ID is
determining age. Both of your birds are juveniles based on the
fresh crisp unworn plumage. Note how all the feathers look clean
and uniform. Adults will have worn plumage with possibly some
/molted/basic/winter feathers mixed in. Once you determine age it
limits the possibilities by eliminating other ages/plumages, in
your case adult and basic plumage. Hope this helps.
Cliff
On 9/15/24 02:40PM, Dave & Brenda
Pace via groups.io wrote:
Ken,
Thanks
for the ID help especially listing the traits you are
looking at as well as including the pictures for
comparison. I really enjoy the Macaulary Library images,
once you have a species to look at you can find pictures
from the same time of year and find good matches. My only
problem is narrowing it down, before you do that it can be a
little overwhelming with all the changing plumages
throughout the year.
I
always enjoy learning and the helpful people here on IBLE.
On Sep 15, 2024, at 1:55 PM, Dave
& Brenda Pace via groups.io <dbpace@…>
wrote:
Hi all, We were out at Market
Lake WMA north of Idaho Falls back on 8-16 and saw a
fair number of shorebirds. I am not as familiar
with them in their fall plumage so was hoping for
some help IDing several we took pictures of These
two birds were moving together when we observed
them. The lighter one was a bit smaller. The
plumages look similar to me, kind of like a light
and dark morph raptor but of course they are
shorebirds. Can you guys help with their IDs, are
they an adult and juvenile or two separate species.
Thanks,
Dave Pace
Idaho Falls, ID
Ken Miracle chukar28@…
208-570-2780
“Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to
claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency
is from God” 2COR 3:5
Your welcome. I took the Shorebird Identification class with John Rakestraw through Golden Eagle Audubon Society 2 years in a row and that with time in the field has been helpful but still easy to make a mistake 🙂
On Sep 15, 2024, at 2:40 PM, Dave & Brenda Pace via groups.io <dbpace@…> wrote:
Ken,
Thanks for the ID help especially listing the traits you are looking at as well as including the pictures for comparison. I really enjoy the Macaulary Library images, once you have a species to look at you can find pictures from the same time of year and find good matches. My only problem is narrowing it down, before you do that it can be a little overwhelming with all the changing plumages throughout the year.
I always enjoy learning and the helpful people here on IBLE.
On Sep 15, 2024, at 1:55 PM, Dave & Brenda Pace viagroups.io<dbpace@…> wrote:
Hi all, We were out at Market Lake WMA north of Idaho Falls back on 8-16 and saw a fair number of shorebirds. I am not as familiar with them in their fall plumage so was hoping for some help IDing several we took pictures of These two birds were moving together when we observed them. The lighter one was a bit smaller. The plumages look similar to me, kind of like a light and dark morph raptor but of course they are shorebirds. Can you guys help with their IDs, are they an adult and juvenile or two separate species.
Thanks,
Dave Pace
Idaho Falls, ID
Ken Miracle chukar28@… 208-570-2780 “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” 2COR 3:5
Ken Miracle chukar28@… 208-570-2780 “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” 2COR 3:5
Thanks for the ID help especially listing the traits you are looking at as well as including the pictures for comparison. I really enjoy the Macaulary Library images, once you have a species to look at you can find pictures from the same time of year and find good matches. My only problem is narrowing it down, before you do that it can be a little overwhelming with all the changing plumages throughout the year.
I always enjoy learning and the helpful people here on IBLE.
On Sep 15, 2024, at 1:55 PM, Dave & Brenda Pace via groups.io <dbpace@…> wrote:
Hi all, We were out at Market Lake WMA north of Idaho Falls back on 8-16 and saw a fair number of shorebirds. I am not as familiar with them in their fall plumage so was hoping for some help IDing several we took pictures of. These two birds were moving together when we observed them. The lighter one was a bit smaller. The plumages look similar to me, kind of like a light and dark morph raptor but of course they are shorebirds. Can you guys help with their IDs, are they an adult and juvenile or two separate species.
Thanks,
Dave Pace
Idaho Falls, ID
Ken Miracle chukar28@… 208-570-2780 “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” 2COR 3:5
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