Tom and I in McCall looking for this bird second day tried meadow marsh
trail went in about 100 yards saw great looks and photos this is in
ponderosa state park

All,

Regarding a blurb on pg 159 of Haupt’s new book: “One thing about starlings
that is unusual among songbirds is that they are open-ended learners. Most
songbirds learn their species-specific calls and songs in the first year,
then they’re done – they’ve successfully learned the “language” of their
species. But starlings continue to learn new sounds, to bring in more
sophisticated motifs and sequences throughout their lives.”

I had to confirm this by peeking at the BNA species account (Cabe, Paul
R.(1993).European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), The Birds of North America
(P. G. Rodewald, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from
the Birds of North America:

https://birdsna.org/Species-Account/bna/species/eursta)

I realize many of us are out chasing life birds, year birds, state birds,
county birds, patch birds, etc., but I found this section of the BNA account
interesting enough to share with IBLE.

Enjoy it if you have the time! =)

Larry

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

https://download.ams.birds.cornell.edu/api/v1/asset/25007261/medium
Enlarge

Figure 3. Starling songs and calls.

a. Attack (harsh) Call; b. Whistled Song, mimicry of Eastern Meadowlark
(Sturnella magna); c. meadowlark song for comparison.

https://download.ams.birds.cornell.edu/api/v1/asset/24993731/medium
Enlarge

Figure 4. Male Starling Wing-waving behavior.

Normally accompanies singing. The wings are outstretched and rotated quickly
(from Feare 1984 by J. Zickefoose).

Vocalizations

Development

Males begin singing a subsong at 3 mo of age which correlates with the adult
warbling song. Structure at first is quite variable, but it becomes clearer
and better organized with age. All basic features are acquired by 4 mo, with
motor-development complete by 9 mo (

Bohner et al. 1990). Males evidently learn from adults or other
environmental stimuli, as captive reared males show a depauperate repertoire
when compared to wild individuals. The whistled song of males appears
suddenly at about 10 mo, with a very precise structure. This coincides with
a change of bill color (a sign of breeding condition), perhaps indicating a
hormonal trigger.

Starlings are able to accurately learn songs regardless of levels of blood
androgens (

Bohner et al. 1990). They may continue to learn new song elements throughout
their lives (

Adret-Hausberger et al. 1990).

European Starlings are renowned mimics, and may learn from each other, birds
of other species, non-avian animals, and inanimate sources (

West and Stroud 1983,

Hausberger et al. 1991). Both males and females are able to mimic human
speech, and learning may depend on social context (

West and Stroud 1983).

Vocal Array

Starlings make an impressive range of sounds, including clear whistles,
liquid warbling, harsh chattering, high pitched trills, rattles, and
strident screams, in addition to mimicry of other sounds (see above).
Although the starling’s vocalizations sound quite variable and even garbled
at times, they are well organized. Vocalizations can be divided into the
structurally more simple calls used by both sexes and songs, used primarily
by the male.

Hartby (

Hartby 1969) named 10 calls used by both sexes on the basis of the context
in which they were most frequently heard: a near and distant begging call of
the young, flight and flock contact calls, 3 calls used in intraspecific
aggression, and 3 distress and danger calls. A copulation call of the female
was also recorded. Hartby’s names for calls are included for reference, but
should not be used to ascribe unequivocal function to the calls (see also

Feare 1984c). Some of the more common of these are the Flight Call (a
purring prurrp), frequently given when a bird takes flight or is released
after handling. The Threat Call, a rattling of varying duration, commonly
heard in wild starlings, especially when one or several birds land within
another group. The Attack Call (a scream incorporating mainly a harsh
chackerchackerchacker;
Figure 3a) is often
accompanied by a flapping physical encounter. The Threat Scream, a
high-pitched scream or trill is also used during intraspecific encounters,
sometimes accompanied by Wing-waving(see
Figure 4); a similar
vocalization and behavior is also frequently included in the warbling song
of males. The Warning or Mobbing Call (a metallic chip) is sometimes given
by a bird which alights in a pre-existing group, while entering or leaving a
roost, or given repeatedly while mobbing avian predators. A Distress Call or
Fear Squeal (a high-pitched, harsh, penetrating scream) is sometimes given
when a bird is attacked or caught by a predator, and also when caught in
mist nets (

Hartby 1969,

Feare 1984c). For sonograms see Hartby (

Hartby 1969).

Songs can be divided into loud whistled songs and softer, more complex
warbling songs (

Adret-Hausberger and Jenkins 1988). The whistled songs are louder and
simpler in structure, and can be divided into 8 classes: the rhythmic theme
containing repetition of a short (ca. 0.1 s) sound, the composed theme (a
whistle-like sound with harmonics), and 6 different types of whistle-like
songs without harmonics which are separated on the basis of rising or
falling pitch and inflection (
Figure 3b). Males
sing up to 5 species-specific themes, in addition to individual, often
mimetic themes (

Adret-Hausberger and Güttinger 1984).

Warbled songs are much more complex, typically lower in volume, longer in
duration (mean of ca. 40 s, up to 80 s) and may include numerous mimicries.
Each song bout consists of an unbroken string of relatively invariant units,
called “types” (

Eens et al. 1989) or “motifs” (

Adret-Hausberger and Jenkins 1988), which may include some elements of the
whistled song (

Eens et al. 1989).

Females also sing, especially in the fall (

Feare 1984c), and can be stimulated to sing by administering testosterone (

Hausberger and Black 1991). Females are capable of both the whistled song
and the warbling song, but usually lack some of the species-specific song
units of the males.

Mimicry is an important element in both the whistled and warbled songs (

Hausberger et al. 1991). Individuals may mimic up to 20 different calls. In
North America, commonly heard mimicries include the Eastern Wood-Pewee
(Contopus virens), Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus), Eastern and Western
Meadowlarks (Sturnella magna and S. neglecta;
Figures 3b, c),
Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina),
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater),
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus), American Robin (Turdus migratorius),
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos), and many others. Mimicry may function
to increase the repertoire size and potential attractiveness of males.

Geographic variation in the species specific component of the whistled song
has been documented in Europe (

Adret-Hausberger and Güttinger 1984) and in introduced populations in
Australia (

Adret-Hausberger 1988), but not in North American populations. Where
documented, the organization is hierarchical, with some themes broadly
distributed while others are correlated with natural geographic barriers.

Phenology

Sing throughout the year, least in late summer, most early in the breeding
season.

Daily Pattern Of Vocalizing

In the fall and winter, may sing near nesting sites, with most singing
occurring between 07:00 and 11:00 (

Kessel 1957), but also in the evenings. During the breeding season, peak
activity morning and evening, but more continuous throughout the day.

Places Of Vocalizing

Males normally use a song perch 4–10 m from the nest site or a perch mounted
on a nest box, but occasionally sit on the ground under the nest site (

Eens and Pinxten 1990). This song perch may be shared with other males in
the vicinity (

Kessel 1957). Singing is sometimes heard at roosts, even at night.

Repertoire And Delivery Of Songs

The number of song types or motifs (see above) included in the warbling call
of male starlings is highly variable. Although first-year birds have smaller
repertoires, repertoire size is not correlated with age and is roughly
constant over time (

Adret-Hausberger et al. 1990). Repertoire sizes range from 21–31 in yearling
males and 35–67 in older males (

Eens et al. 1992, see also

Eens et al. 1991,

Adret-Hausberger et al. 1990). For individuals, analyzing 300–400 song types
is usually sufficient to obtain the complete repertoire (

Eens et al. 1991).

The motifs or types are strung together to form a long sequence, or song
bout. The sequence may be quite rigid during the breeding season, but much
more diverse and variable in the fall (

Adret-Hausberger and Jenkins 1988). Song bouts usually begin with clear
whistles, followed by a number of motifs, each of which may be repeated 2–12
times, often ending with a series of high pitched squeals or trills
accompanied in males by Wing-waving (
Figure 4;

Adret-Hausberger and Jenkins 1988,

Eens et al. 1989). These terminal trills are similar to the Threat Scream
described by Hartby (

Hartby 1969, in

Eens et al. 1989).

Social Context And Presumed Functions

The warbled song is used primarily in mate attraction; males with longer
songs are more successful in attracting mates, and females prefer males with
longer, more varied songs (

Eens et al. 1991). Males also use the warbled song to invite or stimulate
their mates to copulate, and may also use this song to solicit other females
to copulate (

Eens and Pinxten 1990,

Eens et al. 1990).

The whistled song is used primarily during interactions between males, and
in response to vocal playback experiments (in

Adret-Hausberger et al. 1990).

Singing in females has been observed in interactions between two females
mated to the same male and between male/female pairs, but is apparently not
associated with agonistic interactions (

Hausberger and Black 1991).

Nonvocal Sounds

Bill clacking or rattling is often included in the warbled song of the male
(

Eens et al. 1989).

From: Larry Arnold [mailto:larnold47@cableone.net]
Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2017 2:54 PM
To: Larry Arnold
Subject: hot off the press – Mozart’s Starling

Another new book recommended by Missy is this gem by Lyanda Lynn Haupt
(2017, Little, Brown and Company).

Yes, many of us on this continent might curse the European Starling as an
introduced pest, but this book will likely change how we think of them. For
starters:

“On May 27, 1784, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart met a flirtatious little starling
in a Viennese shop who sang an improvised version of the theme from his
Piano Concerto no, 17 in G Minor. Sensing a kindred spirit in the plucky
little bird, Mozart bought him and took him home to be a family pet. For
three years the starling lived with Mozart, influencing his work during one
of his most productive periods, serving as his companion, distraction,
consolation, and muse.”

There’s even a surprise bonus chapter entitled “Chomsky’s Starling” which
wasn’t at all what I expected, in fact offering an interesting little twist!
=)

Just for fun, eh? Larry Arnold, Boise ID

I had similar weekend plans as Stoddard and Ellen, including trying to
clean up some Idaho bird list needs and explore some new areas in extreme
SE Idaho.

Saturday afternoon I birded City of Rocks for the first time and enjoyed
the most of the usual specialties minus Pinyon Jay. I stopped to look for
the Narrows Road Blue Grosbeak some time after 6PM, mostly as an
afterthought (I hadn’t actually realized I would drive right past it en
route from northern Utah to City of Rocks). I did not find the Grosbeak,
so was bummed to learn it is still present (but glad the Davenports got to
see it). Probably not the best time of day- hopefully I was in the right
place. Cool birds near the nearby bridge over the Raft River included
Eastern Kingbird and Belted Kingfisher.

I camped on Saturday evening near the navigable end of Kelsaw Canyon on the
west slope of the Black Pine Mountains. Near the mouth of the canyon I was
treated to a flock of 35-40 Pinyon Jays, which was a delight after missing
them at “The City”. Kelsaw Canyon hosts a very nice juniper woodland with
Gray Flycatchers, Bewick’s Wren, and a possibility of other juniper
specialists. Near the end of the road, Cordilleran Flycatchers and a
Virginia’s Warbler were among the rewards. Common Poorwill was the only
nocturnal bird heard from my camp, but the canyon looks good for
Flammulated and Long-eared Owls.

After leaving Kelsaw, I didn’t get out to the Stone Hills area until mid
morning Sunday, where I followed Stoddard’s fresh tracks on the freshly
graded roads (wondering whose they were and sensing they belonged to other
birders). I also failed to find Scott’s Oriole despite several hours of
diligent searching by vehicle and walking hills and ridges on foot. I did
have TWO NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRDS singing on either side of the road in the
same general location as reported by Stoddard. A Grasshopper Sparrow was
near the famed Stone Hills/Black Pine intersection/eBird hotspot, and
Eastern Kingbirds could be found in the agriculture-wetland-desert
interface east of the Stone Hills.

Sunday afternoon and Monday morning I explored Bear Lake and Franklin
counties which were notable for the lack of unusual birds and the usual
abundance and diversity of regular bird life. Bobolinks were in their
stronghold along Paris-Dingle Road and Flammulated Owl was found in
“Squirrel Hollow” on Cache FR 467, on the west side of Emigration Pass
(with approximately one hundred thousand mosquitoes, estimated by 100s).

Good Birding,

Carl Lundblad
Moscow, ID (currently traveling for field work)

On Mon, Jun 19, 2017 at 11:01 AM, Stoddard Davenport
s_g_davenport@hotmail.com [ible] wrote:

>
>
> Hi birders,
>
>
> Saturday afternoon Ellen and I headed out to camp at Curlew Campground
> (Curlew National Grasslands) and bird around Oneida and Cassia counties. Saturday
> evening didn’t turn up anything too interesting, but Sunday was much
> better. My apologies for the tardiness of this report – we had very
> little cell service over the weekend and got home pretty late last night.
>
>
> First, we searched the Stone Hills for Scott’s Orioles. No luck on this
> trip. Although we succeeded in 2014 and 2015, our batting average has gone
> down quite a bit since then. We tried on 6/5, 7/2, 7/4 of 2016, and have
> tried on 5/13, 5/14, 5/21, 6/17, and 6/18 so far this year and have not had
> any success yet. The May dates were likely a bit early, but we’ve been
> trying to figure out how early in the year they typically arrive. After
> studying the typical amount of time typically required for pair formation,
> nest building, incubation, fledging, etc. in Birds of North America, and
> comparing that to the dates people have reported seeing juveniles in past
> years, I’d guess that they typically arrive sometime between 5/15 and 6/9,
> but the earliest date confirmed so far in eBird is 6/9. On a positive note,
> the road that drops down into the Stone Hills looks like its had some work
> done on it this spring and it’s actually in pretty good shape right now.
> Additionally, I’m not sure how long it will stay this way but so far the
> gate has been unlocked every time we’ve been this year – I think the cattle
> that had been grazing in there have been moved over to another nearby plot.
> With the road repairs, not having to mess with the fence, and the lower
> temps this spring, it’s been much more pleasant to visit the area than past
> years.
>
>
> Our best find in the area was a Northern Mockingbird (lousy pictures are
> on our eBird checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S37682805).
> They don’t seem to be particularly unusual for the area, but are always a
> treat to see in Idaho. This is our fifth time finding Northern Mockingbirds
> in the area, and they’ve all been probably within 1/2 a mile of the same
> area each time (42.05298,-112.8226.)
>
>
> Next, we headed towards City of Rocks with a detour through the area along
> Narrows Road (just east of Almo) that had a Blue Grosbeak a couple of weeks
> ago. Just 10 minutes or so before we got to that area we were treated to a
> surprise Lark Bunting on Stanrod Road. The exact location is in the map
> link from our eBird checklist (http://ebird.org/ebird/view/
> checklist/S37682809). Unfortunately we were moving pretty quick on
> a gravel road and couldn’t come to a stop before we passed (and flushed)
> the bird. When we did get stopped we saw it again briefly on the top of a
> sagebrush further out on the east side of the road before it dropped to the
> ground and we lost track of it.
>
>
> Next, we were able to re-find the Blue Grosbeak that had been reported a
> couple of weeks ago along Narrows Road. I think the first report was on
> 6/3, and the last report (before yesterday) was 6/6, and I wasn’t sure if
> that was because it had moved along or because nobody had been back since
> 6/6, but it looks like the latter. That makes at least 2 weeks for this
> bird in the same location. Hopefully it’s got a lady friend somewhere
> nearby and is planning to stay put for the summer. Photos and the
> exact location can be found in our eBird checklist (
> http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S37682810). We had a brief but
> dissatisfying glimpse at Austin’s Blue Grosbeak from Big Cottonwood WMA
> last year, but this encounter was much much more satisfying. You can also
> find a few pictures of the bird on Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/
> photos/102015389@N03/?). Many thanks to the original finders of this
> great bird!
>
>
> After that we spent the afternoon at Castle Rocks SP and City of Rocks. We
> had lots of the usual pinyon/juniper/scrub specialties, which is always
> enjoyable, but nothing really out of the ordinary. We were hoping for a
> Pinyon Jay but didn’t find any.
>
>
> Good birding!
>
> Stoddard and Ellen Davenport
>
> Boise
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

Excellent birds, Stoddard!

Pinyon/Juniper (PJ) is one of the habitats in western Colorado that I miss
most, and of course the birds that come with it. According to my Trees in
Idaho (Brough and Weber, 1997), pg 80, pinyon pine occurs in only two
counties of Idaho: Cassia and Franklin. Therefore we try to hit those
locations every year. Yeehah. =)

FWIW, Larry

From: ible@yahoogroups.com [mailto:ible@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of
Stoddard Davenport s_g_davenport@hotmail.com [ible]
Sent: Monday, June 19, 2017 12:02 PM
To: ible@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [IBLE] Oneida & Cassia County highlights: Northern Mockingbird,
Lark Bunting, Blue Grosbeak

Hi birders,

Saturday afternoon Ellen and I headed out to camp at Curlew Campground
(Curlew National Grasslands) and bird around Oneida and Cassia counties.
Saturday evening didn’t turn up anything too interesting, but Sunday was
much better. My apologies for the tardiness of this report – we had very
little cell service over the weekend and got home pretty late last night.

First, we searched the Stone Hills for Scott’s Orioles. No luck on this
trip. Although we succeeded in 2014 and 2015, our batting average has gone
down quite a bit since then. We tried on 6/5, 7/2, 7/4 of 2016, and have
tried on 5/13, 5/14, 5/21, 6/17, and 6/18 so far this year and have not had
any success yet. The May dates were likely a bit early, but we’ve been
trying to figure out how early in the year they typically arrive. After
studying the typical amount of time typically required for pair formation,
nest building, incubation, fledging, etc. in Birds of North America, and
comparing that to the dates people have reported seeing juveniles in past
years, I’d guess that they typically arrive sometime between 5/15 and 6/9,
but the earliest date confirmed so far in eBird is 6/9. On a positive note,
the road that drops down into the Stone Hills looks like its had some work
done on it this spring and it’s actually in pretty good shape right now.
Additionally, I’m not sure how long it will stay this way but so far the
gate has been unlocked every time we’ve been this year – I think the cattle
that had been grazing in there have been moved over to another nearby plot.
With the road repairs, not having to mess with the fence, and the lower
temps this spring, it’s been much more pleasant to visit the area than past
years.

Our best find in the area was a Northern Mockingbird (lousy pictures are on
our eBird checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S37682805). They
don’t seem to be particularly unusual for the area, but are always a treat
to see in Idaho. This is our fifth time finding Northern Mockingbirds in the
area, and they’ve all been probably within 1/2 a mile of the same area each
time (42.05298,-112.8226.)

Next, we headed towards City of Rocks with a detour through the area along
Narrows Road (just east of Almo) that had a Blue Grosbeak a couple of weeks
ago. Just 10 minutes or so before we got to that area we were treated to a
surprise Lark Bunting on Stanrod Road. The exact location is in the map link
from our eBird checklist (http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S37682809).
Unfortunately we were moving pretty quick on a gravel road and couldn’t come
to a stop before we passed (and flushed) the bird. When we did get stopped
we saw it again briefly on the top of a sagebrush further out on the east
side of the road before it dropped to the ground and we lost track of it.

Next, we were able to re-find the Blue Grosbeak that had been reported a
couple of weeks ago along Narrows Road. I think the first report was on 6/3,
and the last report (before yesterday) was 6/6, and I wasn’t sure if that
was because it had moved along or because nobody had been back since 6/6,
but it looks like the latter. That makes at least 2 weeks for this bird in
the same location. Hopefully it’s got a lady friend somewhere nearby and is
planning to stay put for the summer. Photos and the exact location can be
found in our eBird checklist
(http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S37682810). We had a brief but
dissatisfying glimpse at Austin’s Blue Grosbeak from Big Cottonwood WMA last
year, but this encounter was much much more satisfying. You can also find a
few pictures of the bird on Flickr
(https://www.flickr.com/photos/102015389@N03/?). Many thanks to the original
finders of this great bird!

After that we spent the afternoon at Castle Rocks SP and City of Rocks. We
had lots of the usual pinyon/juniper/scrub specialties, which is always
enjoyable, but nothing really out of the ordinary. We were hoping for a
Pinyon Jay but didn’t find any.

Good birding!

Stoddard and Ellen Davenport

Boise

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OSFL speech impediment elucidated by one of my old birding buddies.

“I often get the hiccups after quickly drinking three beers!”

😉

From: Larry Arnold [mailto:larnold47@cableone.net]
Sent: Sunday, June 18, 2017 6:25 PM
To: ible@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Avalanche!!!

Of birds.. =)

Missy and I are home from our trek north of the 45th parallel. The
Panhandle is one of our favorite places in Idaho at this time of year, light
enough to use optics from 0430 hrs to 2130 hrs, feels other-worldly. Our
bird pile weighed in at 145 sp, of which 20 were year birds. Favorite
birding places included Smith Creek Rd, West Side Rd, Snow Creek Rd to Roman
Nose (all in Boundary County), Johnson Creek Rd from Clark Fork, Hoodoo
Valley (Bonner County), Moose Meadows, East Fork Rd, Freezeout (Latah
County), and Seven Devils Rd to Heaven’s Gate (Idaho County). Toppermost of
many trip highlights were these:

Boundary and Bonner Counties – Passerines were out in force! Flycatchers,
vireos, chickadees, nuthatches, thrushes, warblers, and northern finches.
Congratulations to you thrushes (all eight sp of you) for grabbing first
place among the songsters! =)

Seven Devils in Idaho County – Speaking of avalanches, road closures due to
snow slides are not always a bad thing, eh? The Seven Devils road to
Heaven’s Gate was blocked about two miles below Windy Saddle, forcing us to
hoof it upslope from there. We were rewarded with an extraordinarily scenic
hike (on par with the Sawtooths), no wind, no people, no vehicles on the
road, virtually no ambient noise, and *many* woodpeckers and corvids:
Red-naped Sapsucker 1, Hairy Woodpecker 6, Three-toed Woodpecker 5, Pileated
Woodpecker 1, Gray Jay 5 (about 150 m past mm 16), Steller’s Jay 3, and
Clark’s Nutcracker 10+. The Gray Jays started dropping hard little
pinecones on us! LOL. There was an Olive-sided Flycatcher / OSFL / with a
speech impediment, singing in four syllables instead of the usual three,
sounding kind of like a hiccup in the middle of its 3rd syllable. LOL
again. I’ve heard OSFL singing in January in E Venezuela that sounded more
convincing than this guy. Mammals thereabouts (6800+ ft elevation) were
also a treat, e.g., Snow-shoe Hares and Loud-mouth Pikas.

Placerville area in Boise County – Several nighthawks at dusk (our FOY),
Flammulated Owl 1, Northern Saw-whet Owl 4, Veery 3, Swainson’s Thrush 2,
and Killdeer 1 (1130 pm). I think we were inspired by birders like Stoddard
who don’t know when to hit the sack. 😉

In celebration of Birthdays, Father’s Day, Feather Days.. this trek rivaled
our first pelagic trip out of Seward AK in search of puffins,
oystercatchers, kittiwakes, etc. (Father’s Day 1994)

Larry and Missy

Boise

Hi birders,

Saturday afternoon Ellen and I headed out to camp at Curlew Campground (Curlew National Grasslands) and bird around Oneida and Cassia counties. Saturday evening didn’t turn up anything too interesting, but Sunday was much better. My apologies for the tardiness of this report – we had very little cell service over the weekend and got home pretty late last night.

First, we searched the Stone Hills for Scott’s Orioles. No luck on this trip. Although we succeeded in 2014 and 2015, our batting average has gone down quite a bit since then. We tried on 6/5, 7/2, 7/4 of 2016, and have tried on 5/13, 5/14, 5/21, 6/17, and 6/18 so far this year and have not had any success yet. The May dates were likely a bit early, but we’ve been trying to figure out how early in the year they typically arrive. After studying the typical amount of time typically required for pair formation, nest building, incubation, fledging, etc. in Birds of North America, and comparing that to the dates people have reported seeing juveniles in past years, I’d guess that they typically arrive sometime between 5/15 and 6/9, but the earliest date confirmed so far in eBird is 6/9. On a positive note, the road that drops down into the Stone Hills looks like its had some work done on it this spring and it’s actually in pretty good shape right now. Additionally, I’m not sure how long it will stay this way but so far the gate has been unlocked every time we’ve been this year – I think the cattle that had been grazing in there have been moved over to another nearby plot. With the road repairs, not having to mess with the fence, and the lower temps this spring, it’s been much more pleasant to visit the area than past years.

Our best find in the area was a Northern Mockingbird (lousy pictures are on our eBird checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S37682805). They don’t seem to be particularly unusual for the area, but are always a treat to see in Idaho. This is our fifth time finding Northern Mockingbirds in the area, and they’ve all been probably within 1/2 a mile of the same area each time (42.05298,-112.8226.)

Next, we headed towards City of Rocks with a detour through the area along Narrows Road (just east of Almo) that had a Blue Grosbeak a couple of weeks ago. Just 10 minutes or so before we got to that area we were treated to a surprise Lark Bunting on Stanrod Road. The exact location is in the map link from our eBird checklist (http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S37682809). Unfortunately we were moving pretty quick on a gravel road and couldn’t come to a stop before we passed (and flushed) the bird. When we did get stopped we saw it again briefly on the top of a sagebrush further out on the east side of the road before it dropped to the ground and we lost track of it.

Next, we were able to re-find the Blue Grosbeak that had been reported a couple of weeks ago along Narrows Road. I think the first report was on 6/3, and the last report (before yesterday) was 6/6, and I wasn’t sure if that was because it had moved along or because nobody had been back since 6/6, but it looks like the latter. That makes at least 2 weeks for this bird in the same location. Hopefully it’s got a lady friend somewhere nearby and is planning to stay put for the summer. Photos and the exact location can be found in our eBird checklist (http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S37682810). We had a brief but dissatisfying glimpse at Austin’s Blue Grosbeak from Big Cottonwood WMA last year, but this encounter was much much more satisfying. You can also find a few pictures of the bird on Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/102015389@N03/?). Many thanks to the original finders of this great bird!

After that we spent the afternoon at Castle Rocks SP and City of Rocks. We had lots of the usual pinyon/juniper/scrub specialties, which is always enjoyable, but nothing really out of the ordinary. We were hoping for a Pinyon Jay but didn’t find any.

Good birding!

Stoddard and Ellen Davenport

Boise

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Um, I meant Placerville in Boise County..

From: Larry Arnold [mailto:larnold47@cableone.net]
Sent: Sunday, June 18, 2017 6:25 PM
To: ible@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Avalanche!!!

Of birds.. =)

Missy and I are home from our trek north of the 45th parallel. The
Panhandle is one of our favorite places in Idaho at this time of year, light
enough to use optics from 0430 hrs to 2130 hrs, feels other-worldly. Our
bird pile weighed in at 145 sp, of which 20 were year birds. Favorite
birding places included Smith Creek Rd, West Side Rd, Snow Creek Rd to Roman
Nose (all in Boundary County), Johnson Creek Rd from Clark Fork, Hoodoo
Valley (Bonner County), Moose Meadows, East Fork Rd, Freezeout (Latah
County), and Seven Devils Rd to Heaven’s Gate (Idaho County). Toppermost of
many trip highlights were these:

Boundary and Bonner Counties – Passerines were out in force! Flycatchers,
vireos, chickadees, nuthatches, thrushes, warblers, and northern finches.
Congratulations to you thrushes (all 8 sp of you) for grabbing first place
among the songsters! =)

Seven Devils in Idaho County – Speaking of avalanches, road closures due to
snow slides are not always a bad thing, eh? The Seven Devils road to
Heaven’s Gate was blocked about two miles below Windy Saddle, forcing us to
hoof it upslope from there. We were rewarded with an extraordinarily scenic
hike (on par with the Sawtooths), no wind, no people, no vehicles on the
road, virtually no ambient noise, and *many* woodpeckers and corvids:
Red-naped Sapsucker 1, Hairy Woodpecker 6, Three-toed Woodpecker 5, Pileated
Woodpecker 1, Gray Jay 5 (about 150 m past mm 16), Steller’s Jay 3, and
Clark’s Nutcracker 10+. The Gray Jays started dropping hard little
pinecones on us! LOL. There was an Olive-sided Flycatcher / OSFL / with a
speech impediment, singing in four syllables instead of the usual three,
sounding kind of like a hiccup in the middle of its 3rd syllable. LOL
again. I’ve heard OSFL singing in January in E Venezuela that sounded more
convincing than this guy. Mammals thereabouts (6800+ ft elevation) were
also a treat, e.g., Snow-shoe Hares and Loud-mouth Pikas.

Placerville area in Valley County – Several nighthawks at dusk (our FOY),
Flammulated Owl 1, Northern Saw-whet Owl 4, Veery 3, Swainson’s Thrush 2,
and Killdeer 1 (1130 pm). I think we were inspired by birders like Stoddard
who don’t know when to hit the sack. 😉

In celebration of Birthdays, Father’s Day, Feather Days.. this trek rivaled
our first pelagic trip out of Seward AK in search of puffins,
oystercatchers, kittiwakes, etc. (1994)

Larry and Missy

Boise

Of birds.. =)

Missy and I are home from our trek north of the 45th parallel. The
Panhandle is one of our favorite places in Idaho at this time of year, light
enough to use optics from 0430 hrs to 2130 hrs, feels other-worldly. Our
bird pile weighed in at 145 sp, of which 20 were year birds. Favorite
birding places included Smith Creek Rd, West Side Rd, Snow Creek Rd to Roman
Nose (all in Boundary County), Johnson Creek Rd from Clark Fork, Hoodoo
Valley (Bonner County), Moose Meadows, East Fork Rd, Freezeout (Latah
County), and Seven Devils Rd to Heaven’s Gate (Idaho County). Toppermost of
many trip highlights were these:

Boundary and Bonner Counties – Passerines were out in force! Flycatchers,
vireos, chickadees, nuthatches, thrushes, warblers, and northern finches.
Congratulations to you thrushes (all 8 sp of you) for grabbing first place
among the songsters! =)

Seven Devils in Idaho County – Speaking of avalanches, road closures due to
snow slides are not always a bad thing, eh? The Seven Devils road to
Heaven’s Gate was blocked about two miles below Windy Saddle, forcing us to
hoof it upslope from there. We were rewarded with an extraordinarily scenic
hike (on par with the Sawtooths), no wind, no people, no vehicles on the
road, virtually no ambient noise, and *many* woodpeckers and corvids:
Red-naped Sapsucker 1, Hairy Woodpecker 6, Three-toed Woodpecker 5, Pileated
Woodpecker 1, Gray Jay 5 (about 150 m past mm 16), Steller’s Jay 3, and
Clark’s Nutcracker 10+. The Gray Jays started dropping hard little
pinecones on us! LOL. There was an Olive-sided Flycatcher / OSFL / with a
speech impediment, singing in four syllables instead of the usual three,
sounding kind of like a hiccup in the middle of its 3rd syllable. LOL
again. I’ve heard OSFL singing in January in E Venezuela that sounded more
convincing than this guy. Mammals thereabouts (6800+ ft elevation) were
also a treat, e.g., Snow-shoe Hares and Loud-mouth Pikas.

Placerville area in Valley County – Several nighthawks at dusk (our FOY),
Flammulated Owl 1, Northern Saw-whet Owl 4, Veery 3, Swainson’s Thrush 2,
and Killdeer 1 (1130 pm). I think we were inspired by birders like Stoddard
who don’t know when to hit the sack. 😉

In celebration of Birthdays, Father’s Day, Feather Days.. this trek rivaled
our first pelagic trip out of Seward AK in search of puffins,
oystercatchers, kittiwakes, etc. (1994)

Larry and Missy

Boise

Yesterday June 17, on my weekly bird survey of the Packsaddle Subdivision in the foothills of the Big Hole Mountains in the NW corner of Teton Valley, I observed a flicker with distinctly yellow under the wings and and tail. It had a black patch on the chest, a red crescent on the nape and a red mustache. Also the Spotted Towhee is still around singing away, a rare sighting here in the valley. Complete list below. Susan Patla, Tetonia

Packsaddle Estates, Teton, Idaho, US
Jun 17, 2017 8:05 AM – 10:05 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.5 mile(s)
Comments: Walked the upper road above our house down to Packsaddle Creek and returned on the middle road. Breezy, overcast day. 56 deg at end of walk.
37 species (+1 other taxa)

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 1
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 1 calling
Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus) 6
Calliope Hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope) 3 males still displaying
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 1 Hybrid Yellow-shafted/Red-shafted male. Had yellow underwings and tail, red-crescent on nape and red mustache. Could not get a good photo.
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) (Colaptes auratus [cafer Group]) 2
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) 1
Western Wood-Pewee (Contopus sordidulus) 1
Dusky Flycatcher (Empidonax oberholseri) 4 all singing
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus) 8 all singing; scattered throughout the area
Common Raven (Corvus corax) 2
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 2
Mountain Chickadee (Poecile gambeli) 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) 3
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) 6
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) 2
Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides) X did not see on my walk but they are in neighborhood
Swainson’s Thrush (Catharus ustulatus) 2
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 10
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) 2
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) 1
MacGillivray’s Warbler (Geothlypis tolmiei) 2
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s) (Setophaga coronata auduboni) 4
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) 1
Brewer’s Sparrow (Spizella breweri) 1
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) 2
White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) 1
Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus) 1
Green-tailed Towhee (Pipilo chlorurus) 5
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus) 1 Have seen this individual bird for over a month in the same location. Have photos and recording of sound.
Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) 1
Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) 3
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) 4
Bullock’s Oriole (Icterus bullockii) 1
Cassin’s Finch (Haemorhous cassinii) 3
Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus) 6
Evening Grosbeak (Coccothraustes vespertinus) 1

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S37666391

Kathleen Cameron reports (8:15 AM):

“The Y-b Cuckoo is present and Vern Tunnell, Jean Seymour, Kathy Eklund
and I are watching it. We are on West Magic Road where it was first seen.”

Lisa

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