Today 6 western bluebirds (males and females) on Kingfisher Trail about 2 miles from Gott’s Point, perching on white metal fence with pipe-like round poles and horizontal top bar.
Maybe a little closer to Tio Lane access point, or at the end of culdesac off Ginger Lane pictured below
My ebird account is all screwed up cannot submit our list from today, also Say’s Pheobe among other notables
If you need further instructions let me know
Rich Rusnak, Nampa

> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: Richard Rusnak
> Subject: Google Earth Image
> Date: March 9, 2018 at 6:24:54 PM MST
> To: rarusnak62@gmail.com
>
> Google Earth streams the world over wired and wireless networks
> enabling users to virtually go anywhere on the planet and see places
> in photographic detail. This is not like any map you have ever seen.
> This is a 3D model of the real world, based on real satellite images
> combined with maps, guides to restaurants, hotels, entertainment,
> businesses and more. You can zoom from space to street level instantly
> and then pan or jump from place to place, city to city, even country
> to country. Get Google Earth. Put the world in perspective.
> (http://earth.google.com)

Since the weather varies from day to day, I look for more substantial signs
that spring is on its way. Two days ago, Killdeer showed up at Esther
Simplot Park in numbers, filling the air with their unique call. Then a pair
of Canada Geese decided to copulate right in front of me in the middle of
the river where the bridge is out. They obviously had no regard for my
delicate sensibilities. 😉

Then, yesterday, I heard Red-tail Hawks outside my house. I ran out in time
to see a pair land in a tree on 19th St. and proceed to copulate in plain
view. Then, a few minutes later, one of them flew off to the southwest with
nesting material in its beak. Obviously I’ll be looking for that particular
nest.

By the time I left the house yesterday, I had already tallied 14 species,
including a Sharp-shinned Hawk that likes my feeders. So with 14 birds and
thoughts of springtime, I headed downstream from Esther Simplot and biked
all the way to Laguna Pointe. The high point was when I turned on to
Remington St. and heard a flyover of Sandhill Cranes, a FOY bird. Their
distinctive flight call is always a treat.

My next FOY bird was a Double-crested Cormorant in a dredge pond near the
West Boise STP. I later saw 2 more flying around the area, but I wonder
where they are nesting this year, since the Bald Eagles that are nesting in
the middle of the rookery seem to have the whole place to themselves.

Final tally was 47 birds in 18 ½ miles, 48 if you count the Mute Swans. Six
of those species were raptors (Cooper’s, Red-tail, Sharp-shinned, Merlin, A.
Kestrel, and Bald Eagle). Another great day to be birding the Boise River.

Tom McCabe, Boise

While sitting in my office, I noticed a flash, and a longish gray-and-white bird had just flown into my nearby bush. For a second I got very excited, since I still have never seen a Mockingbird in Idaho – but, it turned out to be the first Northern Shrike I’ve had in my yard for many years, so it still is a great bird! I am still looking at it right now, since it has been hunting from this perch for about 10 minutes now…

Still having Lesser Goldfinches show up among the American GF & House Finches. Oh wow! As I was typing, a male Lesser Goldfinch landed in the same bush! I was worried there for a minute.

Enjoying this beautiful winter up in Horseshoe Bend…Jonathan Barnett

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

2 Snow Buntings in with a huge flock of Horned Larks along 113th North near Shattuck Butte NW of Idaho Falls this afternoon.

Kit

Kit Struthers
Idaho Falls, ID
kit619@centurylink.net

While out walking along the south channel of the Boise River, near the waste water treatment plant, three different groups of sandhill cranes flew over high in the sky. Two groups (qty 6 and 24) were headed SE while the third (5) was headed west. It was nice to hear them while enjoying the sunny weather.

Marty Marzinelli
Eagle

Wow, super job to the committee and especially to Shirley.
Many thanks!
Bob Davis
> On Mar 4, 2018, at 2:39 AM, Cliff and Lisa cliffandlisa@octobersetters.com [ible] wrote:
>
>
>
> Hi Everyone,
>
> If you have visited IdahoBirds.net today you may have noticed that the Idaho Bird Records Committee now has it’s own Website:ibrc.idahobirds.net
> Still part of Idaho Birds, but on a different platform that is more suited for the committee’s functions.
>
> Most of the improvements on the new site are in the background, but one thing that will make a difference to everyone is a better capability for searchable databases. The rare bird reports are easier to search, plus particularly exciting to me is that we have been able to bring Shirley Sturts’ Idaho Bird Records Database into the new site. You can search through nearly 190,000 records. I am amazed at the amount of work that has gone into the database, and feel this is an awesome resource that Shirley has made available.
>
> https://ibrc.idahobirds.net/idaho-bird-records-database Hope you enjoy!
>
> Lisa
>
>
> —
> Cliff and Lisa Weisse
> Island Park, Idaho
> cliffandlisa@octobersetters.com
>
>

Hi Everyone,

If you have visited IdahoBirds.net today you may have noticed that the
Idaho Bird Records Committee now has it’s own Website: ibrc.idahobirds.net
Still part of Idaho Birds, but on a different platform that is more
suited for the committee’s functions.

Most of the improvements on the new site are in the background, but one
thing that will make a difference to everyone is a better capability for
searchable databases. The rare bird reports are easier to search, plus
particularly exciting to me is that we have been able to bring Shirley
Sturts’ Idaho Bird Records Database into the new site. You can search
through nearly 190,000 records. I am amazed at the amount of work that
has gone into the database, and feel this is an awesome resource that
Shirley has made available.

https://ibrc.idahobirds.net/idaho-bird-records-database

Hope you enjoy!

Lisa

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

Just spotted a breeding male Eurasian Wigeon in the Two Rivers Subdivision
on Island Woods Drive at the first pond west of Eagle Road on the north
side of the road. I was out seeing the resident Trumpeter Swan pair off
Mace Rd when I spotted this nice looking duck on the way out.

Good birding,
Jordan Ragsdale

Maybe a late reply to Tom’s note is better than no reply???

We’ve been tracking high counts of rookery nesters thereabouts (west Boise
WTP) during spring/summer since our move from W CO, and here are our data:

2013 – 76 DCCO / 40 GBHE

2014 – 118/54

2015 92/61

2016 – 50/46

2017 – 0/0 – Bald Eagle showed up for nesting, due to development of new
housing areas on Eagle Island, and removal of historic BAEA nesting site
thereon (photo-documented per a trusted correspondent), and noting our eBird
entries.

2018 to date – 0/0

Data!!!

2017 afforded limited access due to flooding and greenbelt closures, but
whenever we could sneak a peek, we peeked…

Note that GBHE attempted occupation of that rookery in both 2017 and 2018,
but short-lived were they, as BAEA kept showing up, eh?!!

FWIW,

LA

From: ible@yahoogroups.com [mailto:ible@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of ‘Tom
McCabe’ tmccabe9@cableone.net [ible]
Sent: Thursday, February 8, 2018 8:49 PM
To: ible@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [IBLE] An unintended long ride

When I got to Remington St. today, the infield pond at Les Bois was pretty
much empty (there was a RT Hawk in a tree right above it), and I only had 28
birds. Then, when I got to my usual turnaround spot, there were a number of
people there, so I just kept going.

I didn’t get bird 29 (Cal. Quail) until the first dredge pond-miles past my
usual turnaround– and bird 30 (RN Duck) was on the next to last pond. But
along the way I saw 8 RT Hawks before I got to Laguna Pointe (my ultimate
turnaround), and another 4-5 on the way back. And lots of different plumage
variations. My impression was that they were generally in pairs, especially
the last 2 who were sitting side by side on a branch.

Bird 35 was a Bald Eagle sitting next to a very large nest in the middle of
the Cormorant/Heron rookery. I had been told that the rookery had to move
last year because the Bald Eagles decided to nest in the middle of their
turf, but I had not seen it myself.

I also saw a Black-billed Magpie carrying nest material in its beak, and
when I caught up with it, the bird was doing some home improvement on a
nest. And a pair of C. Ravens were perched together near 49th St. in Garden
City.

I don’t know the “normal” nesting times for all these birds, but it appears
that the warm weather has some birds at least thinking of “making whoopee.”

Final tally was 38 birds in 23 miles and I was glad to get home.

Tom McCabe, Boise

Because I had been “under the weather,” and then the weather refused to
cooperate (I won’t ride on ice), I had not been biking for a week. But most
of the streets seemed dry today so I ventured out. But before I left the
house, I racked up 12 species, including a flyover by a Cooper’s Hawk.

By the time I got to Joe’s Crab Shack, on the way up river, I had 26 birds.
Then, as I was leaving Ann Morrison with 30 birds, I stopped to scan the
river. Suddenly all the geese and ducks exploded and a large hawk flew
toward me. He then conveniently landed in a tree near where I was standing,
and I got to examine him through binos. It was an immature Northern Goshawk,
a bird I haven’t seen along the river for several years. Just to make sure I
got good looks, he took off twice more and landed in different nearby trees,
effectively terrorizing all the birds in AM Park.

Even though I was worried about wet spots on the greenbelt re-freezing, I
decided I had to go find the Evening Grosbeaks that John Shortis reported. I
had seen them along Remington St. in years past but not for a couple of
years. Lo and behold, as soon as I started down the street, I found one
consorting with WC Sparrows. Buffleheads on the infield pond made my ride
even more fruitful.

By the time I got back to the North End, I had 38 birds, but as I approached
Ellis St. at 25th, a bunch of crows made a ruckus and another large hawk
flew up. This one took some chasing, but it turned out to be a RT Hawk. Not
quite my Highly Recommended Daily Allowance, but 39 birds in 15 ½ miles is a
great day.

Tom McCabe, Boise