a timely note following Jay’s posting abt owls, eh?
LA
Category Archives: Listserv Posts
Re: Another great day AND SCREECH OWL BOX
Ha – TOTALLY okay with kicking the squirrelys OUT, but really just wondering if the owls might do it themselves.
Re: Another great day AND SCREECH OWL BOX
Kim, great question !!
my heavily biased vote is in favor of a native resident bird sp (WESO) vs. an introduced mammal sp (our local squirrel? sorry I haven’t fully researched this and it’s a word-of-mouth thing that they’re introduced here in T Valley), so I’d kick those squirrels out even if it requires manually doing so several times 😉
I seriously hope nobody ever ever ever introduces squirrels into the South Hills or we might lose our state’s only endemic bird Cassia Crossbill ?? or at least put them at risk ?
this blurb copied from BOW species account for Cassia Crossbill updated in 2018……
Distribution
Distribution
Breeding Range
Figure 1. Endemic to the Lodgepole Pine forests in the South Hills and Albion Mountains of Twin Falls and Cassia counties in south-central Idaho.
Nonbreeding Range
Figure 1. Resident. Found year-round throughout the breeding range.
Historical Changes to the Distribution
Lodgepole Pine was projected to be much scarcer in the region 7,000–5,000 years ago, and the Cassia Crossbill likely evolved subsequently (20).
Recommended Citation
Benkman, C. W. and C. K. Porter (2020). Cassia Crossbill (Loxia sinesciuris), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (P. G. Rodewald, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.redcro9.01
Re: Gem County jewels
Great photos liz –gena
Re: Another great day AND SCREECH OWL BOX
Right? That’s what I said! Yay, Tom and all those able to get the vaccine.
If I may change the subject – I have a screech owl situation. We’ve had families of WSOW nesting in our backyard owl box for the last 7 years. Really cool! Last year the mom, (I really think she’s been the same one) passed away. 😢 (another piece of lame ’20) Dad, (not the first) raised the chicks and everything was mostly fine for the rest of the summer. (Besides the lame Coopers Hawk)
THIS year – I have a squirrel nesting. My question is … will a new pair kick the squirrel out or do I need to? I’ve been hearing one out at night so it’s possible a there might be a new family, but how brave are they?
Thanks so much for your thoughts – happy birds and happy vaccines.
=) Kim
SE Boise
Re: Another great day
Tom, I’d say you had an extraordinary day of birds
and
of all peeps I know, you deserve the VA’s attention getting that vaccination woohooooooo !!!!!!!
good on ya dude !!!
moi
Another great day
When I realized that today would not be another day in the deep freeze, I decided I should take a longer ride and raid Larry Arnold’s end of the greenbelt. But then I called the VA this morning on the off chance I could get on a schedule for a vaccination. Amazingly, I was given an appointment for 4 pm today.
So of course I couldn’t let an appointment interfere with my quest for more birds so I set off in a hurry. The Song Sparrows (2-nesting?) in my back yard helped me to get a good start, and everybody seemed to be encouraging me to go further. Finally, I was 10 miles out and I needed to be home fairly quickly. Normally, I just cruise my way home, but today I powered on and made 10 miles in less than an hour. Not bad for an old fart.
Final tally was 47 species, including a Bald Eagle, 6 different RT Hawks, 12 different GB Herons, a Merlin, a FOY Ring-necked Duck, and lots of cooperative birds.
Oh, and the shot was no big deal, no obvious reaction, and an appointment for my 2d shot in a month. What a great day!
Tom McCabe, Boise
Gem County jewels
Hey folks,
Didn’t want anyone to miss the GBHE action in photos posted in the last few days. I would say Gem County takes the bullfrog haul, more proof we have plenty of treasures (besides what’s on the Butte) under the mud.
Didn’t want anyone to miss the GBHE action in photos posted in the last few days. I would say Gem County takes the bullfrog haul, more proof we have plenty of treasures (besides what’s on the Butte) under the mud.
Here’s Gina’s checklist, a bit more balletic maybe, nevertheless a hungry heron;
https://ebird.org/checklist/S81494369
And Denise’s, I think this may be a first in ten so to speak – that neck is so thick, maybe appetizers and a main dish that’s on its way?
https://ebird.org/checklist/S82012397
Frog, it’s what’s for dinner.
Liz M
Emmett ID
Snake River birds
I took a look at the Snake River just outside the town of Grand View, Owyhee County, today (edge of the Trueblood Wildlife Area). This island was crowded with gulls of at least two species, and the water downstream (and up) had various duck sp. and American Coots.
A conservation note: Even water birds, like coots, are not immune from becoming roadkill victims. On top of the bridge was this roadkill American Coot.
Alan Gregory
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Re: Red-tailed Hawk
Not shy! What a steely gaze.