Despite several inches of fresh snow, I had a prolonged and very satisfying
encounter with the continuing Mann Lake PALM WARBLER late this morning. It
was way up beyond the model airplane area (circling the lake
counter-clockwise), almost to the upper end. In this area are 2 large
stands of cottonwoods, and between the stands is a bit of an opening in the
willows and other dense vegetation. The bird was up in there, near and in
a stand of what I think are white poplar/silver maple. I saw no
yellow-rumps, but the palm was near but not directly foraging with a small
flock of Golden-crowned Kinglets and a Bewick’s Wren. I did not detect any
of the other rarities present earlier this month, but a nice AMERICAN TREE
SPARROW made an appearance. The lake was up to 80% open, but there weren’t
a ton of water birds present.

See rare photos of a Palm Warbler in the snow, in my eBird checklist:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S41272284

Good Birding,

Carl Lundblad
Moscow, ID

The Nampa CBC had a cold, snowy start but ended under sunny skies. Cheryl and I want to thank everyone who participated; we couldn’t do it without you.

The people who supplied food are heroes; what could be better than a bowl of chili or soup, buttered bread and holiday desserts after a cold day of counting birds. Thank you.

The unofficial count day total is 105 birds. There is one gull species that still needs to be confirmed which could put the count at 106. There is also 1 species for count week.

Highlights include 5 blue jays in one place, Swamp Sparrow, Dunlin, Least Sandpipers, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Goldfinch.

There were a few surprise misses: Double crested Cormorant, Black-crowned Night Heron, and Orange-crowned Warbler.

Thanks again. See you next Saturday in Bruneau.

Denise Hughes
Caldwell, Idaho

Thx for reporting, Jay. Very informative to see sp listed with few appearances over the years, as well as misses, *crazy* misses, eh?

Missy and I marched several miles through a few inches of snow – in the dark – early this morning for the Nampa Count, and found three each Great-horned and Western Screech-owls. We chummed for Barn, Long-eared, and Saw-whet, but dipped on these (not surprising I suppose).

Owls Rock!! =)

Larry

From: ible@yahoogroups.com [mailto:ible@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Jay Carlisle carlislejay@yahoo.com [ible]
Sent: Friday, December 22, 2017 11:37 AM
To: IBLE To Post
Subject: [IBLE] Boise CBC preliminary info

Happy holidays everyone! And thanks to CBC participants in Boise & elsewhere – one of my favorite birding times of year 🙂

We (& by we I mean mostly RL who has done the heavy-lifting on this count for years 🙂 are still collecting data from all the groups and prepping for a #s count on all species but we can report that we encountered 100 species on the dot on count day and an additional 4 count-week species for 104 species in the count period – one of the best years ever. Though we’re still awaiting the #s tally, the impression of many at the post-count dinner (thanks again Libby!) is that #s were down for at least a few species/groups, possibly especially sparrows. TBD.

We had more hikers in the foothills – especially the higher elevation areas – than ever (at least recent memory) and that helped us turn up a several species not found elsewhere, like Clark’s Nutcrackers, as well as more Golden Eagles than usual. Thus, I think we’ll have to keep recruiting adventurous hikers!

Highlights (I’m likely leaving out a few :-):

* Golden-crowned Sparrow – 2nd appearance, found by RL (I think Marianne Williams Park)
* Say’s Phoebe (2nd time)
* Clark’s Nutcracker (4th time)
* Brown-headed Cowbird (4th time)
* Bewick’s Wren (5th time)
* Yellow-headed Blackbird (5th time)
* D.C. Cormorant (6th time)
* Osprey (6th time)
* Canvasback (9th time)
* W.B. Nuthatch (10th time)
* Red Crossbill (10th time)
* likely a record # of Golden Eagles (10 were counted in 1998 & I *think* we beat that)
* Red-naped Sapsucker (6th time) – 2 elusive individuals on the day but good for count week
* American Tree Sparrow – count week

Key “Misses”:

* Ring-necked Pheasant
* American Dipper (lots of human activity at usual spot below diversion dam)
* Western Meadowlark

Good luck on the rest of the CBCs!

Jay

Happy holidays everyone!  And thanks to CBC participants in Boise & elsewhere – one of my favorite birding times of year 🙂

We (& by we I mean mostly RL who has done the heavy-lifting on this count for years 🙂 are still collecting data from all the groups and prepping for a #s count on all species but we can report that we encountered 100 species on the dot on count day and an additional 4 count-week species for 104 species in the count period – one of the best years ever.  Though we’re still awaiting the #s tally, the impression of many at the post-count dinner (thanks again Libby!) is that #s were down for at least a few species/groups, possibly especially sparrows.  TBD.
We had more hikers in the foothills – especially the higher elevation areas – than ever (at least recent memory) and that helped us turn up a several species not found elsewhere, like Clark’s Nutcrackers, as well as more Golden Eagles than usual.  Thus, I think we’ll have to keep recruiting adventurous hikers!

Highlights (I’m likely leaving out a few :-):
– Golden-crowned Sparrow – 2nd appearance, found by RL (I think Marianne Williams Park)
– Say’s Phoebe (2nd time)
– Clark’s Nutcracker (4th time)
– Brown-headed Cowbird (4th time)
– Bewick’s Wren (5th time)
– Yellow-headed Blackbird (5th time)
– D.C. Cormorant (6th time)
– Osprey (6th time)

– Canvasback (9th time)

– W.B. Nuthatch (10th time)
– Red Crossbill (10th time)

– likely a record # of Golden Eagles (10 were counted in 1998 & I *think* we beat that)
– Red-naped Sapsucker (6th time) – 2 elusive individuals on the day but good for count week
– American Tree Sparrow – count week

Key “Misses”:
– Ring-necked Pheasant
– American Dipper (lots of human activity at usual spot below diversion dam)
– Western Meadowlark
Good luck on the rest of the CBCs!
Jay

I needed a break from my desk and took an impromptu walk over to the UI
Arboretum and Botanical Gardens in Moscow early this afternoon. There were
(finally) many birds in the crabapple area at the upper end, and I quickly
encountered a calling female PURPLE FINCH in the far NE side, feeding in
crab apples east of the trail and kiosk area. Unfortunately, I didn’t have
a real camera with me, but my notes (and a basically-useless cell phone
photo) can be seen in my eBird checklist (
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S41218621). Maybe I’ll get back in
there, with a better camera, in coming days. There were up to 200
waxwings, the most I’ve seen around Moscow this winter, dominated by Cedars
but including a couple dozen Bohemians.

Good Birding,

Carl Lundblad
Moscow, ID

At “my” end of the greenbelt, DC Cormorants have apparently departed. But
the Osprey continues near 50th St., today joined by a Cooper’s Hawk.

And Pine Siskins are trying to take over my yard (and I approve!). Plus the
6 W. Turkeys have become local “ho-hums.” Twice today I pointed out the
Turkeys-in 2 different locations-and each time the response was “Oh yeah,
they’re here all the time.”

Tom McCabe, Boise

P.S. I also would love to see an update on the CBC.

From: ible@yahoogroups.com [mailto:ible@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of ‘Larry
Arnold’ larnold47@cableone.net [ible]
Sent: Tuesday, December 19, 2017 6:47 PM
To: ible@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [IBLE] random synapses

Idaho CBCs – Feels like none have happened yet, since I see no reports on
IBLE of numbers tallied, whether above or below recent averages, missing
species, new species for given counts, high counts, rarities to chase, yada
yada. I must be spoilt by counts elsewhere across the country, where count
summaries are often posted immediately, followed by updates as count weeks
come to a close. I suppose it is what it is, eh?

Interesting year in Idaho – 329 sp reported so far, with 172 sp in January
alone, beginning with a lingering “mega” Red-flanked Bluetail (found by John
Hanna in late Dec 2016), a first state record Great-crested Flycatcher
(found by Hilary Turner in late August), lumpage of gulls (Thayer’s into
Iceland), split of crossbills (Cassia from Red), rearrangement of stretches
of phylo (e.g., waterfowl, chicken birds, a lonely chat with no obvious
cousins, icterids, finches, poof! all jumbled up), 35+ great rarities were
reported and this isn’t counting record early or late sightings.

Birds hereabouts this morning – About our norm for this time of year, 39 sp,
in our usual stretch of Greenbelt in west Boise (three miles each way by
bike), with nothing unexpected. Maybe best was a Bewick’s Wren (no longer
rare here), and increasing numbers of thistle monsters – goldfinches and
siskins – storming our feeders between appearances of accipiters.

Good Boid’n!

Larry

Idaho CBCs – Feels like none have happened yet, since I see no reports on
IBLE of numbers tallied, whether above or below recent averages, missing
species, new species for given counts, high counts, rarities to chase, yada
yada. I must be spoilt by counts elsewhere across the country, where count
summaries are often posted immediately, followed by updates as count weeks
come to a close. I suppose it is what it is, eh?

Interesting year in Idaho – 329 sp reported so far, with 172 sp in January
alone, beginning with a lingering “mega” Red-flanked Bluetail (found by John
Hanna in late Dec 2016), a first state record Great-crested Flycatcher
(found by Hilary Turner in late August), lumpage of gulls (Thayer’s into
Iceland), split of crossbills (Cassia from Red), rearrangement of stretches
of phylo (e.g., waterfowl, chicken birds, a lonely chat with no obvious
cousins, icterids, finches, poof! all jumbled up), 35+ great rarities were
reported and this isn’t counting record early or late sightings.

Birds hereabouts this morning – About our norm for this time of year, 39 sp,
in our usual stretch of Greenbelt in west Boise (three miles each way by
bike), with nothing unexpected. Maybe best was a Bewick’s Wren (no longer
rare here), and increasing numbers of thistle monsters – goldfinches and
siskins – storming our feeders between appearances of accipiters.

Good Boid’n!

Larry

The Nampa CBC count week starts on Wednesday, not today as mentioned in my previous email. I must be hoping that the work week ends quickly.

Sorry for any confusion.

Denise Hughes
Caldwell, Idaho

Good morning fellow birders.

Today starts the count week for the Nampa CBC. If you are birding in the city of Nampa, Caldwell and points north, south, and west please let Cheryl Huizinga or I know of any unusual birds. You can find the Nampa map on the IBO page.

https://ibo.boisestate.edu/cbcs/#Boise

See you on Saturday!

Denise Hughes
Caldwell, Idaho

From what I understand it is ok to occasionally post for sell information on the listserve. I have 3 pair of binoculars for sale of varying type and price and all purchased new by me recently (last 2 to 4 years). All three are suitable as gifts since they include the original boxing/brochures etc. and are, as far as I can tell, in perfect condition (please make your own determination my visiting me at my Boise residence or I can send photos and ship (for a nominal fee)). For each binocular pair I’m asking approximately 60% of the current manufacturers’ list price. Depending on the manufacturer the warranty may still apply, but you’d have to make that determination. Call me if you are interested and we can discuss the particulars: Tad Blank, 208-286-1923.
They are listed below in order of descending pricing:

Vortex, Razor HD, 10 X 42

Vortex, Viper HD, 8 X 32

Zeiss, Terra ED, 8 X 42.