This is my first attempt to post on this site, so if I am inappropriate, please let me know. We have a “white” mallard in our area. Am wondering how to know if it is albino or Leucistic. These are some pictures of it. I do have more. Thanks for your help
Judie
Thanks Brian for the insights
The poaching threat, as serious as it is for birds on public lands in SW Idaho (People Keep Shooting Long-Billed Curlews in Southwest Idaho), does seem to be relatively localized and I’m sure other issues are at play elsewhere. And, to your point, some of the best current populations of curlews – both in terms of abundance and reproductive success – we’ve studied in recent years are on private lands with flood irrigation (or at least sub-irrigated meadows), including sites in eastern Idaho and western Wyoming.
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People Keep Shooting Long-Billed Curlews in Southwest Idaho
A shot mother is the latest in a string of poaching deaths, now considered the greatest threat on what was once …
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As you said, center pivots and other forms of sprinkler irrigation use less water and require less labor. But, there are other factors worth considering in the “conservation equation”, including impacts on aquifers as well as what kind of habitat these agricultural areas provide. Flood irrigation, though water & labor-intensive, provides a pretty good substitute for seasonally flooded wetlands and also allows for aquifer recharge. To that end, many organizations in the state – including members of the Idaho Bird Conservation Partnership – have dedicated energy & effort in recent years to the goal of maintaining flood irrigation in at least some valley areas that are within natural floodplains. This is especially so in eastern Idaho where White-faced Ibis and other birds that breed at Market Lake and Mud Lake WMAs and feed extensively in nearby flood-irrigated fields … but there’s a very rapid turnover to center pivot in the area which could end up severely reducing important foraging habitat for colonially-nesting waterbirds as well as migratory waterfowl & shorebirds that pass through.
Thanks for chiming in and I hope this adds a little more to your “food for thought” 🙂
Jay
—
Jay Carlisle
Research Director, Intermountain Bird Observatory
Associate Research Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University
Coordinator, Idaho Bird Conservation Partnership, IBCP on Facebook
On Monday, June 25, 2018, 7:22:14 PM MDT, lcarrigan_55@yahoo.com [ible]
Recently, I’ve read sev articles about Long-billed Curlew numbers dropping in S ID & a disturbing reason for the decline. It appears that poaching, specifically “target shooting” is a major factor. The LB Curlew is federally protected by the Migratory Bird Act but that, obviously, doesn’t deter everybody. As unconscionable as “thrill-killing” such a magnificent bird is, I would also like to raise the discussion of, perhaps, another factor playing a role in lower Curlew numbers.
30 years ago in SE ID, LB Curlews were fairly common in most irrigated fields, particularly pastures. But, about a decade ago, I started seeing fewer & fewer. To the point now, at least in my area, Curlews have become rare. I think the switch from flood irrigation to sprinkler irrigation is a factor in the decrease. Certainly, sprinkler irrigation conserves water & is less labor intensive but the flooded fields with standing water have virtually disappeared. And with the disappearance of soaking wet, short grass pasture fields, appears the Curlews have moved on. I’m not advocating a return to flood irrigation, but I believe the change has made a difference. Food for thought. I’d be interested in what others may think.
Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot
Summer advances..the McGillvray’s warblers were all silent today in Teton Valley foothills.
Best, Susan
________________________________________
From: ebird-checklist@cornell.edu
Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2018 2:56 AM
To: susan_patla@hotmail.com
Subject: eBird Report – Packsaddle Estates, Jun 27, 2018
Packsaddle Estates, Teton, Idaho, US
Jun 27, 2018 8:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.2 mile(s)
Comments: Birded the loop in the subdivision: from home down Grandview ( a bit of Aspen lane) and back on Caldwell Lane. Lots of bird sound this morning until the wind picked up after 10. One mule deer with very young twins.
36 species
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 1
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 4
Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) 1
Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus) 5
Calliope Hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope) 2
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) (Colaptes auratus [cafer Group]) 3
Dusky Flycatcher (Empidonax oberholseri) 4
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus) 9
Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) 1
Common Raven (Corvus corax) 1
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 1 in nest box on house
Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta thalassina) 2
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 2
Mountain Chickadee (Poecile gambeli) 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) 2
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) 7
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) 2
Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides) 1
Swainson’s Thrush (Catharus ustulatus) 1 by Packsaddle Creek
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 8
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) 1
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s) (Setophaga coronata auduboni) 3
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) 5
Brewer’s Sparrow (Spizella breweri) 4
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) (Junco hyemalis [oreganus Group]) 2
Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus) 2
Green-tailed Towhee (Pipilo chlorurus) 7
Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) 1
Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) 3
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 8
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) 2
Evening Grosbeak (Coccothraustes vespertinus) 1
Cassin’s Finch (Haemorhous cassinii) 4
Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus) 4
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 1
View this checklist online at https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Febird.org%2Fview%2Fchecklist%2FS46845841&data=02%7C01%7C%7C65a4d3af7e86414dba9708d5dca2c520%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636657514002550566&sdata=q6Q3YbSTJtq%2B9Pbx3gl%2BH8q%2BVx5RIhvFospvvvzr%2F8U%3D&reserved=0
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Febird.org&data=02%7C01%7C%7C65a4d3af7e86414dba9708d5dca2c520%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636657514002550566&sdata=yV2SPijxv%2FgSrHlIM7RKnfnBH8xhpXK2aw%2F8emPwnqc%3D&reserved=0)
At least one Alder Flycatcher is still present at the coordinates in the Ware/Carlisle eBird checklists. In fact, the habitat picture in their June 21st checklist is exactly what I was looking at while listening to the male’s two-note song. Most of the time I heard the song closer to the rocky ridge but couldn’t see the singing bird amongst the dead trees for over an hour. He moved side to side not west to east. I was about to give up when an Alder Flycatcher started to sing much closer to the road—just west of that log pile seen on the right side. He sang from one location for quite awhile and I was able to get some good photos. Based on previous reports, I think there are two Alder Flycatchers, one of which is bolder and stays closer to the road.
Recently, I’ve read sev articles about Long-billed Curlew numbers dropping in S ID & a disturbing reason for the decline. It appears that poaching, specifically “target shooting” is a major factor. The LB Curlew is federally protected by the Migratory Bird Act but that, obviously, doesn’t deter everybody. As unconscionable as “thrill-killing” such a magnificent bird is, I would also like to raise the discussion of, perhaps, another factor playing a role in lower Curlew numbers.
30 years ago in SE ID, LB Curlews were fairly common in most irrigated fields, particularly pastures. But, about a decade ago, I started seeing fewer & fewer. To the point now, at least in my area, Curlews have become rare. I think the switch from flood irrigation to sprinkler irrigation is a factor in the decrease. Certainly, sprinkler irrigation conserves water & is less labor intensive but the flooded fields with standing water have virtually disappeared. And with the disappearance of soaking wet, short grass pasture fields, appears the Curlews have moved on. I’m not advocating a return to flood irrigation, but I believe the change has made a difference. Food for thought. I’d be interested in what others may think.
Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot
I had a male Lesser Goldfinch come into the feeders this AM. Also have both male & female Black-chinned Hummingbirds coming to the nectar feeder & at least one male Rufous. I believe the Black-chinneds are nesting on our place again, should know in the next month, if immatures start coming to the feeder.
Also, at least a dozen Black-headed Grosbeaks are on the place, hitting the seed feeders. Others seen regularly are Bullock’s Orioles, Lazuli Buntings, Am Goldfinches, House Wrens & Cedar Waxwings.
Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot
There was a White-winged Dove at Camas this morning sitting on a feeder when Darren Clark and I arrived this morning. We also refound the young male Blue Grosbeak found by Darren yesterday as was the mosquitos. A storm storm soon developed so we did not find much else. Lots of water there still.
Steve Butterworth
Idaho Falls, idaho
Fun to see these species being reported in N ID during our drive across S Canada through their expected breeding ranges, hearing/seeing them daily =)
Today we saw that the Central Flyway is alive and well, tallying 118 species this morning in SW Saskatchewan =)
Whilst shopping for old licence plates (we collect them), we saw this plaque: “We don’t skinny dip, we chunky dunk”
Still sampling eBird hot spots along the Trans Canada Highway ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Larry and Missy
Quick post to share that late afternoon yesterday Heidi & I easily found Alec’s bird right at the location of his eBird checklist – in fact, it was the first bird we heard singing when we opened the car doors! As an added bonus, after ~15 minutes we both started hearing a second Alder Flycatcher counter-singing ~200 yards upslope – we tried for a recording but that 2nd bird never came close to the road and we didn’t feel up for bushwhacking :-). Might add evidence to the idea that Alec’s bird is on a summer territory – & could this end up as a breeding location? Any others up & down the road???
Here’s our eBird list (ebird.org/view/checklist/S46709335) that includes a digiscope pic Heidi got of the (relatively) close Alder singing and a digiscope video I got in which you can hear the song (if you turn up the volume) as well as make out the greenish hue on the back.
Great find Alec and thanks to folks who’ve kept the reports coming!
Jay
I found two Blue Grosbeaks at Camas NWR (Jefferson County) this evening. The birds were at the southern end of Toomey Pond, which is the big pond at the south end of the auto loop. The birds were in dead willows along a road that heads south from Toomey Pond (this road is closed to vehicles). The mosquitoes are very thick and aggressive. The birds were very skittish. I was able to get a coule of distant photograph of the male (a bird born last year as it is mostly brown). Please don’t play tapes, I’m guessing these birds will try to nest. This location is about .5 miles from a pair of birds that were found last fall at Camas (I wonder if one or both of these birds was born at Camas last year).
Photos can be seen on bird checklist here:https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S46711426
Darren Clark
Rexburg, ID