After I let the dog out around 6, I climbed back into bed. That’s when I
heard the W. Screech Owl, bird (1) of the day. Birds (2) through (5) were
the usual suspects, M. Dove, H. Sparrow, H. Finch and L. Goldfinch. But (6)
was a Pine Siskin, an irregular visitor to the yard. Then, while doing my
backyard Poop Fairy duties, I was nearly hit by one of the many RB
Nuthatches (7) that like my feeders. Also chiming in were RC Kinglet (8) and
BC Chickadee (9), followed by a flyover of A. Robins (10) and a screech from
a N. Flicker (11). Last, but not least, was my first DE Junco (12) in the
yard this season.

The ride down Brumback produced the first of many YR Warblers (13) of the
day, as well as EC Doves (14). The R Pigeons (15) at St. Mary’s are pretty
reliable, but the C. Quail (16) on Stewart is more of a will o’ the wisp.
The Mallards, Killdeer and C. Geese (17-19) are to be expected at Esther
Simplot Park (ESP), but I haven’t seen Horned Grebes (20) in winter plumage
for a long time. The B. Swallows (21) are late, but the DC Cormorants (22)
are still to be expected.

Veteran’s Pond produced a PB Grebe (23) and Wood Ducks (24). The trail along
the canal bank produced the usual Song Sparrows (25), but the A. Coot (26)
that splashed away from me was a surprise. My last bird at ESP was a BB
Magpie (27), expressing his raucous displeasure at something.

I didn’t encounter any new birds along the river until I heard A. Crows (28)
in Ann Morrison Park. My loop through the park wasn’t productive until I got
to the duck pond and found Gadwalls, RB Gulls, and A. Wigeons (29-31).

Then I headed downriver, heading to my daily scouring of Remington St. and
Les Bois track. But at the footbridge to ESP, I heard and then saw a Downy
Woodpecker (32). This was followed by a couple of flocks of previously seen
Nuthatches and YR Warblers. But as I cruised the south side of the river, I
caught a glimpse of something black and white and moving. Unfortunately, it
was a soccer ball caught in an eddy of the river. Fortunately, a couple of
C. Mergansers (33) were cruising by just at that moment. And right after
that, I heard my first B. Kingfisher (34) of the day.

When I got to Remington St., I realized I hadn’t noted a E. Starling yet,
but there were a gazillion there for bird number (35). A scan of the pond in
the Les Bois infield produced a GB Heron (36), perched on a deteriorating
goose platform. Then I spotted some of the (winter) resident WC Sparrows
(37) at one of the puddles along the street.

I paused at the river end of Remington to eat a Clif Bar and marvel at all
the Flickers, YR Warblers, Chickadees and Magpies that call that area home.
Then I headed home, pleased with my tally but hoping for something new and
different. While it wasn’t exactly “new,” the Osprey (38) at Quinn’s Pond
was nevertheless quite different, given the time of year.

While it was a cold ride the whole way, it was a very rewarding 15 miles on
my bike.

Tom McCabe, Boise

Not sure if it’s a harbinger of anything but a single evening grosbeak flew
over the house (Chubbuck) yesterday later followed by a flock of 5.

Meanwhile, “Oregon” juncos, a few white-crowned sparrows (all immatures of
the Gambel’s form), a spotted towhee and a few pine siskins are coming to
the feeders. A Cassin’s vireo stopped in the yard for about a minute,
called a few times and moved on.

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

Nice find, Tom!

They’re now added to our database for the Boise Greenbelt. =)

Interesting they are also being reported in unexpected places in both OR and
CA.

And when Missy and I chased the Great Crested Flycatcher at Camas NWR, we
encountered a Clark’s near HQ, a seemingly crazy place for one of those
beasties!?

Maybe this is their year to wander? Motivated by extensive fires in their
habitat?

Larry

From: ible@yahoogroups.com [mailto:ible@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of ‘Tom
McCabe’ tmccabe9@cableone.net [ible]
Sent: Monday, October 2, 2017 11:00 PM
To: ible@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [IBLE] Clark’s Nutcrackers

Just a quick heads up to those in the Boise area. This morning, on my
regular bike ride, I encountered 2 Clark’s Nutcrackers in the vicinity of
Veteran’s Pond (VP). I was biking to the downstream end of Esther Simplot
Park (ESP), where it butts up against VP. The first one flew out of some
trees between VP and the river and flew off over the back pond of ESP. I
started down the dirt road along the side of VP, hoping to get another look,
when a second one called out and then flew over in the same direction. Susan
and I got great looks at the birds in flight.

I went back later in the day, on the return leg of my ride, but I couldn’t
find either bird. But I also couldn’t find many of the other birds that had
been in the vicinity earlier (including at least 2 Barn Swallows).

Needless to say I intend an early ride to the same location tomorrow.

Tom McCabe, Boise

Just a quick heads up to those in the Boise area. This morning, on my
regular bike ride, I encountered 2 Clark’s Nutcrackers in the vicinity of
Veteran’s Pond (VP). I was biking to the downstream end of Esther Simplot
Park (ESP), where it butts up against VP. The first one flew out of some
trees between VP and the river and flew off over the back pond of ESP. I
started down the dirt road along the side of VP, hoping to get another look,
when a second one called out and then flew over in the same direction. Susan
and I got great looks at the birds in flight.

I went back later in the day, on the return leg of my ride, but I couldn’t
find either bird. But I also couldn’t find many of the other birds that had
been in the vicinity earlier (including at least 2 Barn Swallows).

Needless to say I intend an early ride to the same location tomorrow.

Tom McCabe, Boise

I spent the weekend birding the northern Idaho panhandle starting at
Sandpoint City Beach Saturday morning, where nothing unusual was present.
Along Sunnyside Road, south of Highway ID-200, I had my first BLUE JAY of
the fall and some small migrant flocks dominated by Yellow-rumped Warblers
and Ruby-crowned Kinglets. The Sandpoint Fish Hatchery produced a
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. I continued around to the Driftwood Yard in Clark
Fork, where a youth hunt event was wrapping up. After they mostly cleared
out, I walked the parking lot and grass fields kicking up a flock of 9
American Pipits.

That afternoon I birded the Kootenai River Valley in Boundary County, where
shorebird habitat was unusually good and being unusually well utilized
(though diversity was low). Kootenai NWR had a flock of 8 early-ish SNOW
GEESE, 16 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, and about 14 Long-billed Dowitchers.
Continuing north along Westside Road, the Ball Creek Ranch Preserve had 3
SANDHILL CRANES, at least 28 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, and 70+ Long-billed
Dowitchers. A Merlin was working the 2015 Parker Ridge Burn scar.

Sunday morning, Boundary Creek WMA had a SWAMP SPARROW, another
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, still 4 Lincoln’s SPARROWS, 4 SANDHILL CRANES, a
Merlin, and 40+ Yellow-rumped Warblers including at least 5 Myrtles.
Working back down the valley, Ball Creek Preserve had even more dowtichers
(~90) and still good numbers of Pectorals, and the Snow Geese were still at
KNWR with more Pectorals. The rest of the afternoon, including a second
stop at Sandpoint City Beach, were uneventful.

Good Birding,

Carl Lundblad
Moscow, ID

I believe a flock of about 22 red crossbills came through this afternoon. I didn’t see most of them up close but heard the kip type call in the top of conifers and then as the flock flew away. One with finch shape was on wire close to house.
Nancy miller
Viola ID

Sent from my iPhone

I was interested to see Brian’s post this morning on the flocks moving through the sage/grassland.

Yesterday when wet snow and rain was falling intermittently , I saw 3 Pink-sided Juncos and one Yellow-rumped warbler behind our house feeding on the ground in the cover of tall grass in a remnant wood pile. They then all stopped for a while and appeared to be resting but I could see their bills open and close so suspect they were making soft calls. The day before flocks of yellow-rumps, juncos and sparrows were feeding and moving through the aspen stands in our neighborhood. The aspens are just starting to turn now in the valley..very late this year. Still plenty of berries on the serviceberry, chokecherry and Hawthorne bushes. This morning a few robins, Cassin’s finch and pine siskin hanging out in the front yard. Plus one magpie.

Susan, Packsaddle Estates

I was at the Portneuf Wellness Complex (Chubbuck) Saturday morning and saw
a distant flock of large birds. I immediately thought Canada goose, but
when I got my binoculars on them I knew right away that the flock formation
was all wrong for this species. The birds were not in any version of a V,
more like a broad U with multiple tendrils of varying lengths. They then
started molding into 2 large condensed flocks and started to behave like a
starling murmuration – the boiling, rolling movement of many birds acting
as one when a predator is nearby.

I immediately began to worry that I would get a good enough look at the
birds to identify them. They were far too large to be starlings. They
were fortunately were drifting my way. It appeared to be about 700-1000
birds, sometimes splitting into 2 large flocks and a third small one.
Sometimes all gathering in one flock.

I was very fortunate that the birds came in directly over my head and I was
able to ID them as Franklin’s gulls. I am pretty new to the west. Is this
unusual for this species? They continued this behavior until they drifted
out of sight to the west. I looked around for something like a peregrine
to cause this behavior, but the closest thing I saw to a predator near them
was an osprey.

I was able to get pictures and will get a more accurate count for my eBird
checklist.

Pretty neat!

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

I tried to send the message below after noon today (Sunday), right after getting the photos loaded to my computer, but I just now found it still in my Outbox – it didn’t send for some reason. So, I will limit the email to one photo and see if it fares better this time…sorry for the delay…
===========
This morning, between 11:30-12:00, I decided to check out a flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers that were coming through my yard, and then noticed one in my rock garden that was constantly flicking it’s tail, and spending more of it’s time near the ground. After getting my binoculars on it, I realized it was a Palm Warbler, so I ran and got my camera. Attached are a few shots. Sorry they aren’t better. The bird was moving around a lot, and I was just trying to capture something quick to prove what I was seeing. Anyway, during my photo-shoot, the flock disappeared and I haven’t seen them since, but it would be a good bet that they will move through Boise or Emmett. Fyi…Jonathan Barnett, Horseshoe Bend

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

This AM’s birding started with a Hermit Thrush, its rusty tail evident. A handful of Yellow-rumped Warblers were working through the trees & a RB Nuthatch was calling. When I got to our sagebrush/rabbitbush area, sparrows erupted from ground level in every direction. A conservative count of 200 DE Juncos (Oregons), 100 White-crowned Sparrows with one lone White-throated Sparrow, 2 Lincoln’s, a couple of Chipping Sparrows & 2-3 Brewer’s were present.

30 minutes later, a lower temp & scattered showers in the same area, found only the juncos remaining.. A fast-moving storm system to the north must have been pushing the sparrows, fast & furious, ahead of its arrival. Also, I had 2 or 3 House Wrens push through, which is a late date for my home. There were a couple of Spotted Towhees working with the sparrows & a few Towhees will stay as winter residents.

Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot