Outlet canal 3:15. 3 dunlin killdeer 1 great blue Heron Russian olives 2 red tail hawk 1 n.harrier 2 pheasant in trees. Lions pond 1house finch 1blk.crown night Heron why would he be there with no open water I guess safe place to roost
Category Archives: Listserv Posts
Blue Jay
There was a Blue Jay at the Menan Boat Ramp yesterday afternoon, Thursday, December 10.
Kit
Kit Struthers
Idaho Falls, ID
kit619@…
Re: GBHE eats baby alligator
I’ve seen GBHE’s scarfing up rodents in a grassy area. I couldn’t figure out what the heron was after, and then it did its darting behavior and came up with a little fur ball with a naked tail. Then it did what the heron in the video did, it swallowed the critter whole. It was an eye-opener for me.
Tom McCabe, Boise
Re: GBHE eats baby alligator
I’ve seen a lot of Great Blue Herons over the years, but cannot remember ever seeing one (two actually) foraging in a dry mowed farm field. Saw and photographed one of the two on Dec. 3 about four miles southeast of Grand View, Owyhee County (near Idaho highway 78).
Alan Gregory in Mountain Home
Re: GBHE eats baby alligator
Wow, a dinosaur eats a crocodilians. What’s new?
Always forward, never straight…
Dunlins at Deer Flat NWR Lower Dam Outlet
Continuing rarity.
Three Dunlins were observed this afternoon at the outlet by both myself and Wayne S. They were medium-sized, grayish shorebirds with long, black bills. They had white superciliums. They flew over the causeway once or twice while I was there, but always came back to the mossy part of the canal in front of the spillway. They vocalized several times.
I thought I would just give another update on these birds, which are a Life List species for me! 🙂
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Aidan Lorenz
Caldwell
GBHE eats baby alligator
well now, this is entertaining, haha
Re: Thoughts about a Potential Dark-eyed Junco x White-throated Sparrow Hybrid?
Thanks for your reply! Your suggestion does seem more likely, since the markings don’t really convey much in favor of a WTSP hybrid. 🙂
Here are the photos.
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Aidan Lorenz
Caldwell
Re: Thoughts about a Potential Dark-eyed Junco x White-throated Sparrow Hybrid?
Interesting bird. My guess is that this is a bit of leucism and/or part of the range of variation we see due to cross-breeding between junco subspecies. Every year I see a number of “oddballs” that I’ve interpreted to be something other than a “pure” Oregon or Slate-colored – and assume that this hybridization between subspecies produces plumage anomalies.
But, that’s just an educated guess … and I don’t see anything structurally that suggests a different shape than a usual junco.
Thanks,
Jay
Thoughts about a Potential Dark-eyed Junco x White-throated Sparrow Hybrid?
A little a while ago I saw a junco that peaked my attention. I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on whether this bird might be a hybrid?
Here is the description from the eBird checklist:
“Maybe… An apparent Slate-colored individual was foraging near the feeding station. It had a gray head with a small, white throat patch above a gray breast. It had a white belly. It had mostly gray wings. Its secondaries were tinged with brown, and it had a small white spot near its left shoulder. It had gray sides and a gray tail. There was a little bit of brown near its vent/lower side. The white throat immediately caught my attention, and made me wonder if it was a hybrid. I did get some photos.”
I’ll add the photos in a few minutes.
Thanks for your help!
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Aidan Lorenz
Caldwell