Pleasantly surprised this morning to see a beautiful Steller’s Jay busily
enjoying the cones in one of our many pine trees here in the sandy eastern
edge of Blackfoot. While they are regularly seen in the pine forests of
eastern Idaho at higher elevations, this is the first I have seen at this
elevation surrounded by ag fields and sagebrush/steppe. Hope he will hang
around. He sure was carrying on loudly, more vocal then the magpies.

Some random birding notes from past few days. Best bird at home was an immature Northern Shrike that I saw Fri, when I went down to river to fly-fish. Yest, headed up to cabin & filled tank at Dave’s Jubilee in Ashton & saw a Blue Jay at a residence across from parking lot (my Blue Jay at home seems to have moved on). Between Ashton & Ashton Hill spotted a Rough-legged Hawk soaring above. As I drove through Last Chance, had to pull over, next to Henry’s Fk, & count all the Trumpeter Swans…from one location counted 75 swans. The river is open & looked like the swans were taking full advantage of feeding on underwater vegetation. Got a few great photos with the river, swans, trees & snow-covered Mt Sawtelle in background.

As I got closer to cabin, I watched a Great Gray Owl take off from a spruce tree, sail across the road & head deeper into the woods. Usual RB Nuthatches & Mt Chickadees are up at cabin.

Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot

Hi Bob – wowzers on those Dunlin !!!

=)

From: “Robert Kiernan photobirder@gmail.com [ible]”
To: “Rick Longworth” , “IBLE”
Sent: Friday, November 8, 2019 7:14:17 PM
Subject: [IBLE] Re: birding…

4:30 today lower dam 2 common gold eyes several red breasted mergansers 2 horned grebe several pie bill grebe 1 gadwall outlet canal 14 dunlin

4:30 today lower dam 2 common gold eyes several red breasted mergansers 2
horned grebe several pie bill grebe 1 gadwall outlet canal 14 dunlin

On Wed, Nov 6, 2019, 8:23 PM Rick Longworth wrote:

> Looks like we’re tied up for a few days.
> Let’s try again over the weekend or early next week. Hai has some irons
> in the fire.
>
>
>
> — rick
>

Cliff just called to have me post that the Rusty Blackbird reported on
eBird is still hanging out on the Henry’s Fork at Last Chance. It’s by
itself, upstream from the old closed down laundromat.

Lisa

—
Cliff and Lisa Weisse
Island Park, Idaho
cliffandlisa@octobersetters.com

Murphy’s neck 6 hooded mergansers lower dam a few red breasted mergansers
1 horned grebe. 3 buffle heads
Outlet canal 3 least sandpiper

These aren’t White-rumped Sandpipers. They’re too short winged. Brown
breast and apparent pale legs suggest least. Would be nice to see the
bill…

Cliff

On 11/5/19 1:03 PM, Robert Kiernan photobirder@gmail.com [ible] wrote:
> [Attachment(s) <#TopText> from Robert Kiernan included below]
> Id.. Sent this in to merlin for Id.they said white rump I have my
> doubts what say you
>
>

—
Cliff and Lisa Weisse
Island Park, Idaho
cliffandlisa@octobersetters.com

Id.. Sent this in to merlin for Id.they said white rump I have my doubts
what say you

Sent picture of bird from south end lower dam to Cornell they verified horn
grebe

This a.m.murphy’s neck hooded mergansers. Lower dam several eared grebes a
few red breasted mergansers outlet canal 3 sanderlings 11 least sandpiper
lions pond 1 black crown night Heron