It’s an immature Cooper’s hawk
Category Archives: Listserv Posts
No Spring Migration here
After over twenty years of Sandhills faithfully showing up a bit after the 20th of March, this year they just flew over last week and kept going. We have over two feet of snow in the fields and more at the house.
It’s two weeks about until usual hummer arrival and one of the hooks I hang feeders from is under a drift and others are unreachable. It’s chickadees at feeders with magpies.
Bill Moore
Hoot Owl Rd
Inkom
Other FOY Arrivals
A few other FOY arrivals along the Snake River. Yesterday, had sev thousand Tundra Swans come over in groups of up to 200, for most of late morning & early afternoon. Also, yesterday, DC Cormorants showed up working the river. Today, both White Pelicans & DC Cormorants were forming mixed rafts of birds, floating downstream with, mainly, the cormorants leading.
Others, more & more Turkey Vultures are showing. Had a N Shrike around the place for most of the winter, but appears to have moved on, now. Townsend’s Solitaires are thinning out. Probably best bird of this winter was a single pass-through by a Merlin, scattering the House Finches & BC Chickadees at the feeder. Kept hoping for some Red or White-winged Crossbills, but none as of yet. Also, since saw a Varied Thrush this fall, hoping for another appearance this spring.
Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot
Re: Say’s Phoebe
I love how consistent the Says Phoebe’s come back to my yard in Idaho Falls. This year they came back on March 17th. The earliest they’ve returned is February 28th. I love when that little two note song alerts me to their arrival!
Re: Tricolored Blackbird
I’ve been asked by the Tricolor Blackbird Portal to check for bands on the birds seen/photographed in Payette County. They have banded over 106,000 TRBL, primarily females, and on the left leg.
If any of you observers were fortunate enough to get photographs close enough that would expose a band, could you please email me?
Many thanks,
Liz
Say’s Phoebe
It’s been many years & sightings have always been in early Spring, but just had a Say’s Phoebe land on back deck rail. Heard it’s 2-note call before locating the bird, as it gave call while coming in to land on rail. Got great binoc views through window about 15 ft away.
Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot
Re: Tricolored Blackbird
Passing on a note from Heidi Ware Carlisle:
Adding a note here so that others interested in this sighting will see it: DO NOT USE PLAYBACK ON THESE BIRDS.
This is an endangered species, the ABA Code of Ethics states that playback should never be used on threatened or endangered species.
I need to look into it more, but in many cases for threatened species (e.g. western Yellow-billed Cuckoo) it is actually a violation of federal law to use playback on them.
https://sc.audubon.org/news/using-bird-calls-ethically
This is an endangered species, the ABA Code of Ethics states that playback should never be used on threatened or endangered species.
I need to look into it more, but in many cases for threatened species (e.g. western Yellow-billed Cuckoo) it is actually a violation of federal law to use playback on them.
https://sc.audubon.org/news/using-bird-calls-ethically
Re: Tricolored Blackbird
What an unusual find by Peter and Katie. Maybe they are already in the know, but I shared the sightings on the observation portal at UCDavis’ Tricolored Blackbird page.
Re: Tricolored Blackbird
Found at least 9 tricolors in a flock of redwings out in a field about 1 mile east of the Big Willow OHV parking area and another 3 at a feedlot at the intersection of Stone Quarry and Little Willow roads. Will be posting photos and videos on Idaho Rare Birds and Discussion Facebook page when get back home.
Tricolored Blackbird
A Tricolored Blackbird is in Payette County. The bird was originally found by Katie Sorensen and Peter Osloy on Sunday. The bird was also seen yesterday and again today.
The bird is in a large mixed blackbird flock. The flock is being seen on Big Willow Road. There is a feed lot at Big Willow and Gulch and a second one approximately 6 miles further on Big Willow. The bird has been seen at both feed lots.
There is a report of more than one Tricolored blackbird.
Denise Hughes
Caldwell, Idaho
Any day might be a special one-you just had to go outside and see if it was.—-Kenn Kaufman