An interesting one this AM. I’ve had a female Rufous Hummingbird coming into the feeder for about 5 days now. She came again this AM, followed by the female Black-chinned. Then, a male Rufous came in and has taken over the feeder for the past 1 1/2 hr. Living up to the male Rufous’ aggressive nature!

What’s interesting is, we have had Rufous migrate through in the spring & again late Aug/early Sept on their clockwise migration pattern. But, I don’t have a yard record for one in July. Let alone 2, & male & female at that. I looked up Rufous & it could be that they are already headed back south for their winter migration. In Latilong 21, Rufous is listed as transient. So, I suspect the 2 are migrating south & have just located a ready, man-made nectar source & are lingering. But interesting to observe.

Also, have been watching my Black-headed Grosbeaks switch from a fully sunflower seed diet to fewer seeds & more insects now. Even to the point of ticking off the resident Western Wood-Pewee, who was hot on the tail of a male Grosbeak earlier today. The Grosbeaks are even doing some fly-catching although with nowhere near the grace of the Pewees! I mainly see them stalking through the lawn, scaring & snapping up insects.

Otherwise, Happy 4th!
Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot

After a couple days at cabin & hiking/fly-fishing/ birding backcountry of Yellowstone, back home. Being quite lazy this AM & relaxing on hammock within sight of my hummingbird feeder. Watched several visits by a female Black-chinned, which then flew and perched on the cottonwood right above me. A male Black-chinned then started making looping display flights just to the right of me, and twittering during the display at both apex ends of his loops. I barely moved for fear of scaring them (not exactly easy while on a hammock trying to observe the flight!) & not wanting to be impaled by a hummer’s bill! The bottom of his loop was within touching distance!

Quite cool! So, for Kim in Boise, Black-chinneds are definitely displaying now. And, though no proof, suspect this is the same female who successfully nested once already. May nest again, soon.

Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot

Idaho Birders.

Later this month I will be travelling through Idaho on my way from Oregon to Wyoming and back. I am hoping to connect with some Cassia Crossbill. Recent ebird posts are helpful. At the same time, I am hoping some of you could suggest areas that the birds might be using in July. I am happy to take posts outside of this list serve

Thanks in advance

Steve Kornfeld
Bend, Oregon

sbkornfeld@msn.com

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

It took about 45 minutes of patient searching, but the BLUE GROSBEAK
continued this afternoon on Narrows Road, about .7 miles west of the bridge
over the Raft River at the intersection with EY Road (Cassia County).
Eventually it began singing well south of the road and made occasional
appearances perched atop willows along the creek (but mostly staying low
and out of sight).

Good Birding,

Carl Lundblad
Moscow, ID

Cassia Crossbill is exciting, but we lost Thayer’s Gull. Dang. No more
fun trying to decide whether we saw a real Iceland Gull.

Lisa

On 07/02/2017 03:57 PM, LARRY ARNOLD larnold47@cableone.net [ible] wrote:
>
> Doesn’t look like this has surfaced on IBLE yet… we in Idaho
> finally get our crossbill, eh?! =)
>
> LArnold, Pocatello for now…
>
> *From:*obol-bounce@freelists.org
> [mailto:obol-bounce@freelists.org] *On Behalf Of *Jamie Simmons
> *Sent:* Saturday, July 01, 2017 3:32 PM
> *To:* OBOL-to post
> *Subject:* [obol] The 58th Supplement to the AOU checklist is live
>
> It’s a sad day when I read about the release of the new checklist on
> Facebook before OBOL.
>
> The AOS website still says it will be released June 28:
> http://www.americanornithologypubs.org/?code=coop-site
>
> But the NEW checklist can be seen here: http://checklist.aou.org/taxa/
>
> An analysis:
> http://birdaz.com/blog/2017/07/01/the-fifty-eighth-supplement-to-the-aou-check-list/
>
> Jamie Simmons
>
> Corvallis
>
> P.S. I haven’t looked at the “results” but I read they lumped Thayer’s.
>
>
>

—
Cliff and Lisa Weisse
Island Park, Idaho
cliffandlisa@octobersetters.com

Doesn’t look like this has surfaced on IBLE yet… we in Idaho finally get our crossbill, eh?! =)

L Arnold, Pocatello for now…

From: obol-bounce@freelists.org [ mailto:obol-bounce@freelists.org ] On Behalf Of Jamie Simmons
Sent: Saturday, July 01, 2017 3:32 PM
To: OBOL-to post
Subject: [obol] The 58th Supplement to the AOU checklist is live

It’s a sad day when I read about the release of the new checklist on Facebook before OBOL.

The AOS website still says it will be released June 28:
http://www.americanornithologypubs.org/?code=coop-site

But the NEW checklist can be seen here: http://checklist.aou.org/taxa/

An analysis:

The Fifty-Eighth Supplement to the AOU Check-list

Jamie Simmons

Corvallis

P.S. I haven’t looked at the “results” but I read they lumped Thayer’s.

Heading home after a day of birding. . At mile marker 84 Cheryl and I just saw 2 moose walking westward. It’s 95 degrees and desert.

Denise Hughes
Caldwell, Idaho

I was curious about that also… getting the same activity of display flight here?
=)kim

On Jun 30, 2017, at 12:22 PM, lcarrigan_55@yahoo.com [ible] wrote:

This AM, I’ve been watching the Hummingbird activity at my feeder. A male Black-chinned has been making display flghts for a female which comes into feed, then perches at the feeder watching his displays. Another pair? Same pair, maybe going to nest again? Did read where sometimes, hummers will have two broods a summer. Certainly, more summer still present, after the one successful nesting.

Also, I had a female Rufous Hummingbird come into the feeder earlier, before the Black-chinned Hummingbirds took over. Also, found a male Lazuli Bunting & male Western Tanagers on the place.

Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot

=)kim liebich
Boise Idaho

Our dogs didn’t want to get in the truck this morning! Probably thought it would be another ride, like that ride on the Frenchglen road, they had yesterday.

I did forget to mention that Malhuer HQ is very dog friendly. Even can go in the visitor center. Must be on 6′ or shorter leads.

Also, the museum is totally worth going into. Many many stuffed birds representative of the birds seen at Malhuer. And the list of homestead chores made me smile in remembrance of my grandmother and her weekly routine!

MaDWhitham
It’s not the years in your life, it’s the life in your years!!!

On Jul 1, 2017, at 12:09 PM, ‘Larry Arnold’ larnold47@cableone.net [ible] wrote:

Too bad they don’t blade those washboardy roads, because that’s what turned me back when I was there a few years ago.

I had wanted to experience Steens Mountain, but not at the hassle/expense of replacing all the shocks on my vehicle, not to mention my neck, back, etc.

FWIW, Larry, Boise

From: ible@yahoogroups.com [mailto:ible@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of MaDWhitham climb_on2002@yahoo.com [ible]
Sent: Saturday, July 1, 2017 9:10 AM
To: telemark22@sbcglobal.net; Yahoo! Inc.
Subject: [IBLE] Re: Malhuer

We actually received 3 replies, headquarters/visitors center, the narrows, the campground near Frenchglen. We had good luck at the first two and didn’t make it to the last.

The mosquitoes are atrocious! We probably would have seen a few more birds had we not been mobbed by those.

Tried to drive down to Frenchglen on the “two hour” self guided tour. Four hours later after 20 miles of washboard gravel road and seeing 10 of the stops, we were at the turn for French’s round barn. We went there and headed back to the Good Sam campground near the narrows.

MaDWhitham

It’s not the years in your life, it’s the life in your years!!!

On Jun 30, 2017, at 11:25 PM, telemark22@sbcglobal.net [ible] wrote:

It appears that no one had a chance to answer this before the OP’s visit, but we will be at Malheur in a week and a half, so we would welcome the information about the best birding spots on the refuge.

Thank you,

Larry Montgomery

Sacramento, CA

In mid June the S Steens Mountain Rd was in great condition to the first
campground about 18 miles in where it was still closed due to snow.
Beautiful scenery, views that seemed to extend forever. N Steens Mountain
Rd was OK, but open only to the Page Springs Campground, which is open for
camping.

On Jul 1, 2017 12:10 PM, “‘Larry Arnold’ larnold47@cableone.net [ible]” < ible-noreply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

Too bad they don’t blade those washboardy roads, because that’s what turned
me back when I was there a few years ago.

I had wanted to experience Steens Mountain, but not at the hassle/expense
of replacing all the shocks on my vehicle, not to mention my neck, back,
etc.

FWIW, Larry, Boise

*From:* ible@yahoogroups.com [mailto:ible@yahoogroups.com] *On Behalf
Of *MaDWhitham
climb_on2002@yahoo.com [ible]
*Sent:* Saturday, July 1, 2017 9:10 AM
*To:* telemark22@sbcglobal.net; Yahoo! Inc.
*Subject:* [IBLE] Re: Malhuer

We actually received 3 replies, headquarters/visitors center, the narrows,
the campground near Frenchglen. We had good luck at the first two and
didn’t make it to the last.

The mosquitoes are atrocious! We probably would have seen a few more birds
had we not been mobbed by those.

Tried to drive down to Frenchglen on the “two hour” self guided tour. Four
hours later after 20 miles of washboard gravel road and seeing 10 of the
stops, we were at the turn for French’s round barn. We went there and
headed back to the Good Sam campground near the narrows.

MaDWhitham

*It’s not the years in your life, it’s the life in your years!!!*

On Jun 30, 2017, at 11:25 PM, telemark22@sbcglobal.net [ible] < ible-noreply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

It appears that no one had a chance to answer this before the OP’s visit,
but we will be at Malheur in a week and a half, so we would welcome the
information about the best birding spots on the refuge.

Thank you,

Larry Montgomery

Sacramento, CA