I heard an uncommon bird song late today. Grabbed my glasses and located a warbler way up in the nose bleed seats of our ancient front maple. My list submission will most likely be challenged, but after comparing photographs of the distinct white eyebrow and under the eye, the blue gray back, and the song, I’m fairly certain this was a black-throated gray warbler. I spotted one in our side yard in October 2015. Long time between visits.
I hope to be lucky enough to spot him again tomorrow.
I believe the bird in the attached photos is a leucistic female red-winged blackbird. What do you all think? Found this last Friday at Camas WMA in the east shelterbelt. It did not sing and was generally not shy. I was able to observe the bird for as long as I wanted, which was about 30 minutes.
Awesome day, Tom, and thx for a vote of confidence, but I’d rely more on Jay because while I have a lot of experience, I don’t necessarily remember it… 😉
Whereas Jay has excellent eyes, ears, memory and a lot of experience
There’s another factor we don’t often discuss… not long ago several of us had this game…. we’d each play a recorded bird on a specific CD set and challenge the others to name all the background songs, chirps, calls, wing sounds, whatever, and of course I always lost because those other birders were quite younger than I was, and they could separate most sounds from the “milieu” whereas I had lost much of that ability…
My FOY Black-headed Grosbeak hasn’t made an appearance yet – maybe today? But I was DELIGHTED to wake up to my FOY Western Tanager sitting outside my bedroom window.
Did I ever mention that I believe we should change the State bird for Idaho to the Western Tanager? – for 2 reasons:
Idaho would have it’s own unique State bird – ie., no longer share a State bird with another State, and more importantly…
The Western Tanager is the only bird I know of that is historically noted as DISCOVERED in Idaho – by Lewis & Clark in their expedition.
If I am incorrect, please correct me. But if this group got behind a drive to change the State bird, could we make it happen? I don’t know if that is possible, but I’m throwing it out there… 😊
Our first Lazuli just showed up. They really love the cheap bird seed with millet/milo. I keep it up all summer, while sunflower seeds disappear, on my initiative, for birds in a couple weeks.
I saw Brian’s post about BH Grosbeaks. My theory is Evenings molt to BH because I don’t see both. Maybe this year???
I saw a pair of Sapsuckers yesterday and house wrens are bubbling. Maybe they will nest in garage again.
The Pygmy Owl continues it’s real early morning calls. I thought it was a Saw Whet until I hit the Cornell song site and figured out the difference. Regardless a tiny owl that would be nearly impossible to find and see up in the tree margin.
Hoot Owl out
Bill Moore Hoot Owl Inkom
Home of Idaho Birding and the Idaho Bird Records Committee
