4 Being seen at Lucky Peak from View Point Rest Area off hwy 21 just past dam. Scope required. Sifting through other possible scoters as well. Will update on other sightings.
Jason

Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone

Deer flat n.w.r.upper dam 2 duffel id’s 2 ear grebe lower dam this Bird was
way out from dam the Bill is what caught my eye not very good photo any
guesses?

My newest camera has a mode which takes photos that adds different effects
pretty neat.

Just had good looks at 2 more Surf Scoters on Lucky Peak Res. Viewable from
Barclay Bay or the overlook.

Good birding,
Jordan Ragsdale

I was able to find 20 great-tailed grackles at the Flags West rest
area in southern Bannock County yesterday and was able to get many
good photos. One male had a very short tail, barely as long as a
common grackle’s. Could a first year male great-tailed grackle have
such a short tail? It showed no bronze iridescence in its feathers.

Also, it seems we may be having an “invasion” of Steller’s jays in
Bannock County. I have been looking for and not finding any for the
past year. No reports in eBird for the county either. But, one flew
over my yard in late September, there have been a few reports for the
county in eBird, and one was eating crabapples in my backyard
yesterday. Cool!

Sent from my iPhone

Looks like photo did not go thru on my first email

I checked the upper dam from West to east no luck .went to lower dam no
luck on scoter. Did see this winter plumage loon and 2 eared grebes.

Hi birders,
I was scoping Lake Lowell from west side of Upper Dam when I came across a big dark duck floating. Since I had only been seeing lots of grebes and gulls, I paused at this bird to check it out. Again it was big with a slash of white towards back end of bird. Bill was also good-sized. By now I was thinking scoter but just as I was getting ready to dial in scope to get closer looks at it, the bird got up and flew. I followed it with scope as long as I could before it got away from me. It did have a big white wing patch at back of wing. Since I’m not 100% sure it was a white-winged scoter (I needed more time!) and couldn’t refind it for further field marks, I’m not reporting it on my eBird list except as a possible in the comments section.
But a heads up for anyone out looking at Lake Lowell!
Thanks, Cheryl

Cheryl Huizinga
Caldwell, Idaho

Every once in a great while I will get juncos that actually go up to the
feeder. It is kind of strange to see them there but not unheard of. I even
have a picture of one.

Marya Moosman
Driggs

Tom,

Thanks for sharing your observations. You get much higher numbers at your
location. A couple others also have Juncos at tray feeders which seem to
serve them well.

Diann Stone

On Oct 21, 2017 10:04 PM, “Tom McCabe” wrote:

> Diann:
>
> I agree that DEJU’s don’t normally use feeders, but mine are using my tray
> feeder all the time. I’m not sure they use the tube, but I’ll be watching.
> (I think they may be evolving.)
>
> I have at least a half dozen RBNU’s at any given time. And they can be
> really noisy! And when the Lesser Goldfinches are here, they are here in
> numbers(12?).
>
> Tom
>
>
>
> *From:* ible@yahoogroups.com [mailto:ible@yahoogroups.com] *On Behalf Of *Diann
> Stone dstoneak2id@gmail.com [ible]
> *Sent:* Saturday, October 21, 2017 4:17 PM
> *To:* IBLE
> *Subject:* [IBLE] Backyard observations as astonished
>
>
>
>
>
> I was astonished to see two Dark-eyed Juncos using a tube feeder in my
> yard today! Have others seen that behavior? Maybe the other birds weren’t
> knocking enough seeds to the ground where Juncos normally feed. At the
> feeder also were two Red-breastfed Nuthatches, a pale Lesser Goldfinch, and
> House Finches. An American Robin alighted on the birdbath.
>
>
>
> On 10/18 I was delightfully surprised by a Mountain Chickadee flying from
> evergreen to evergreen. It made a couple quick stops at the tube feeder as
> it made its way around the yard perimeter. It was 9/19/15 that I noted
> previously seeing a Mountain Chickadee in my yard. The same day 10/18 as I
> walked along the driveway to the front, a Cooper’s Hawk burst out of a low
> shrub to fly with something small in its talons across the street into a
> tall evergreen. I had been wondering if the family group was still around.
> Got my answer.
>
>
>
> So please tell me, who has seen Juncos at feeders?
>
>
>
> Diann Stone
>
> Boise Depot Bench
>
>
>