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

Warblers are rapidly tapering. I’ve seen one each Wilson’s & MacGillivray’s yesterday, the rest have been Yellow-rumpeds (Audubon’s). White-crowned Sparrows were common yesterday & just about absent today, being replaced by DE Juncos. Still a few RB Nuthatches about. Best bird today was a Swainson’s Thrush, but it’s appearance heralds the beginning of the end of fall migration, at least in my immediate area.

Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot

Thank you, Wendy, for sharing your experiences and sightings with us. Your
emails were enthusiastic and encouraging. It was really fun seeing birds
from your point of view even though I wasn’t free to go see them for
myself. Safe travels. It’s clear you’ll enjoy birding wherever you go.

Diann Stone
Boise Depot Bench

On Sep 29, 2017 7:01 PM, “damnempid damnempid@yahoo.com [ible]” < ible-noreply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

>
>
> Greetings, Birders!
>
> We crossed the Idaho border into Nevada today so my opportunities to add
> more birds to my Idaho list have ended. We had a grand time exploring and
> birding, primarily in Custer County, and can highly recommend the area for
> birders and nature enthusiasts. For you folks that always travel the major
> freeways north-south through the state, might I recommend you try Hwy 93 on
> your next trip, especially through Custer County.
>
> We don’t plan to return anytime soon so I will be unsubscribing from the
> listserv. Thanks for all the great birding info over the past five months!
>
> Good birding,
> Wendy McCrady
>
>

Greetings, Birders!
We crossed the Idaho border into Nevada today so my opportunities to add more birds to my Idaho list have ended. We had a grand time exploring and birding, primarily in Custer County, and can highly recommend the area for birders and nature enthusiasts. For you folks that always travel the major freeways north-south through the state, might I recommend you try Hwy 93 on your next trip, especially through Custer County. 
We don’t plan to return anytime soon so I will be unsubscribing from the listserv. Thanks for all the great birding info over the past five months!
Good birding,Wendy McCrady