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