White-winged scoter and Long-tailed Duck at Lake Lowell

Many thanks to Carter who called Cheryl and told her about a white-winged scoter at Lake Lowell’s lower dam. Cheryl called me and I was able to get a quick glimpse before it flew further away from the dam. While trying to relocate the scoter for the James, Jim pointed out a white duck as it was flying by. Turned out to be a long-tailed duck.

Nice day to be out birding.

Denise Hughes

Re: ID of sapsucker at Kathryn Albertson park (Yellow-bellied?)

I’d point out that molt progression of the cap matches
Yellow-bellied. Red-napeds molt in the red feathers from front to
back of the cap while Yellow-bellieds molt those feathers more
randomly. Also the base color of the cap, paler tannish brown with
darker streaking rather than more solidly dark brown fits
Yellow-bellied.

Cool bird.

Cliff

On 11/18/23 01:08PM, Jay Carlisle via
groups.io wrote:

A
heads up re: the KA Park (Boise) sapsucker seen earlier this
week (during the tanager frenzy 😁) … Jared Peck and Kathryn
Keith are the ones who’ve posted pics so far (that I know of):
Though
it was reported as a Red-naped (the most likely species here so
a sensible assumption), since it’s so slow to get into formative
(adult-like) plumage, it looks more like a
Yellow-bellied (immatures known to molt more slowly in their
first fall – retaining juvenile plumage for much longer than
Red-naped).  The paler tones in the crown (best seen in
Kathryn’s list) is also a good fit for Yellow-bellied, and the
hint of the black border on the throat might point that way as
well.
Jared
mentioned seeing it fly S – in the direction of Morris Hill
cemetery (a known winter sapsucker hotspot) so it’s worth
keeping an eye out in that area.
Jay
-- 
Cliff and Lisa Weisse
Island Park, Idaho
cliffandlisa@...

ID of sapsucker at Kathryn Albertson park (Yellow-bellied?)

A heads up re: the KA Park (Boise) sapsucker seen earlier this week (during the tanager frenzy 😁) … Jared Peck and Kathryn Keith are the ones who’ve posted pics so far (that I know of):
Though it was reported as a Red-naped (the most likely species here so a sensible assumption), since it’s so slow to get into formative (adult-like) plumage, it looks more like a Yellow-bellied (immatures known to molt more slowly in their first fall – retaining juvenile plumage for much longer than Red-naped).  The paler tones in the crown (best seen in Kathryn’s list) is also a good fit for Yellow-bellied, and the hint of the black border on the throat might point that way as well.
Jared mentioned seeing it fly S – in the direction of Morris Hill cemetery (a known winter sapsucker hotspot) so it’s worth keeping an eye out in that area.
Jay

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