Date: 7/10/25 6:34 pm From: lcarrigan_55 via groups.io <carriganbw...> Subject: [IBLE] Male Rufous Hummingbird!
Just had my first Rufous Hummingbird of season show at the nectar feeder. A beautiful, completely rufous-colored male. So, their migration back South has started in the E ID Snake River Riparian areas. Last year, within a week of my first sighting, they really put on a show for sev weeks, followed by a good number of Calliope Hummers, as well. Will see how numbers go this season.
Date: 7/9/25 9:23 am From: John Shortis via groups.io <john_shortis...> Subject: [IBLE] American Bittern at Blacks Creek
Hi birders,
Amy Bechtel was on her way home yesterday and made a quick stop at Blacks Creek. She found an American Bittern which was seen last month between June 15 & June 20 by Thomas Czubek, Kent Kleman, Jason Talbot, and Mark Selle. V likely the same individual. She said it was between the trees on the east side. Hopefully, it will be seen again; Amy & I will probably try later today. Amy saw several peeps also, so as we approach mid-July, they should be starting to come in more numbers soon.
John Shortis
Is shorebird migration starting early? Seems more and more places are
reporting them.
On Sun, Jul 6, 2025 at 12:00 PM R L ROWLAND RONALD ROWLAND via groups.io
<rlrowland...> wrote:
> Out-n-about birding yesterday. Was not able to get to all my little
> waterholes. Had battery problems with my Ag (car) at Blair Trail Res.
> (Elmore Co.), wouldn't start until shook loose (?) terminal cable. No cell
> service or tools to tighten cables properly so dared not to shut down lest
> I risk shorting out battery, so came home.
> Anyway, had lowest water level at Pioneer Res. (East Gooding Co.) as I
> have ever seen in the few years I have birded the place. No water upper
> end, small pools with good bit of mud in the center, Dunlin (all in
> non-breeding plumage, ebird didn't like my entry), Willets, WISN, WESP's,
> messes of AWPE's (heavily feeding in the shallow water of the pool behind
> the dam), many GBHE's and some GREG's. Bit surprised on the latter two sp.
> as the heronry/rookery seemed to have been abandoned a while when I was
> there earlier this past Spring, what with the nests (some 20+/- counted in
> previous years) appeared broken down.
> When passed by Adin Hall Res. (Elmore Co., near that huge wind farm)
> because of the possible battery problem didn't dare stop, as badly as I
> wanted to. There seemed to be much water flow from AHR into Reynold's Pond
> so there may be a possibility of good mud developing and a chance of
> incoming shorebirds over the next month. Have had good shorebirding at AHR
> in past years. Get lucky?
> CGB. RL
>
>
>
--
Louisa Evers
<elouisa603...>
Take care of the birds and you take care of the world
Date: 7/6/25 11:00 am From: R L ROWLAND RONALD ROWLAND via groups.io <rlrowland...> Subject: [IBLE] Shorebirding
Out-n-about birding yesterday. Was not able to get to all my little waterholes. Had battery problems with my Ag (car) at Blair Trail Res. (Elmore Co.), wouldn't start until shook loose (?) terminal cable. No cell service or tools to tighten cables properly so dared not to shut down lest I risk shorting out battery, so came home.
Anyway, had lowest water level at Pioneer Res. (East Gooding Co.) as I have ever seen in the few years I have birded the place. No water upper end, small pools with good bit of mud in the center, Dunlin (all in non-breeding plumage, ebird didn't like my entry), Willets, WISN, WESP's, messes of AWPE's (heavily feeding in the shallow water of the pool behind the dam), many GBHE's and some GREG's. Bit surprised on the latter two sp. as the heronry/rookery seemed to have been abandoned a while when I was there earlier this past Spring, what with the nests (some 20+/- counted in previous years) appeared broken down.
When passed by Adin Hall Res. (Elmore Co., near that huge wind farm) because of the possible battery problem didn't dare stop, as badly as I wanted to. There seemed to be much water flow from AHR into Reynold's Pond so there may be a possibility of good mud developing and a chance of incoming shorebirds over the next month. Have had good shorebirding at AHR in past years. Get lucky?
CGB. RL
Date: 7/3/25 1:51 pm From: Louisa Evers via groups.io <elouisa603...> Subject: Re: [IBLE] Black's Ck. Bird Preserve dark gull/jaeger(?) this evening
Linda Wentz and I went to Black's Creek this morning to try to find RL's
mystery gill-ish. We arrived at about 7 pm and scoped from the south shore.
Unfortunately that meant the sun interfered with seeing details. All the
dark gull-ish birds we could find were young CAGUs. Did see a common tern,
however.
On Wed, Jul 2, 2025 at 11:34 PM R L ROWLAND RONALD ROWLAND via groups.io
<rlrowland...> wrote:
> Hokay, out there in "ible-land", RL here. Been a while. Got a poser for
> those who might be interested.
> Was out at Black's Ck. Bird Preserve the last 1-1/2hrs. of daylight this
> evening, 02 July. Have not yet published my list for there. This first.
> Making a last scan with my scope (Swarovski 80mm HD, circa 1999) before
> departing I found a smallish-medium sized appearing, very dark
> gull-ish-looking bird on the water swimming toward a mess of CAGU's
> (mostly, some juvie RBGU's) on the far shore (North). Given the light
> conditions, right at sunset, cloudy I was only able to narrow the bird down
> one of three possibilities: 1) a juvie Heermann's, 2) juvie dark-morph
> Parasitic Jaeger, or 3) juvie dark-morph Pomarine Jaeger. I dismissed juvie
> dark-morph Long-tailed Jaeger as the bird I was looking at had too much
> bill. Also, no way was this bird any kind of a Coot.
> Rough description: bird smaller the nearby CAGU's it was moving toward,
> seemed comparable in size to a RBGU but much slimmer/trimmer appearing, not
> as bulky. again, bird body all dark, very dark brown to black, no other
> colors or even patterns discernible given the light conditions. not able to
> tell any bill coloration other than all dark and more gull-like than
> jaeger-esque. primaries longer than tail.
> At this point bird turned, butt toward me, and went ashore, preened
> momentarily then appeared to tuck in for the night. Again, I was not able
> to see any other coloration stand-out during the brief preening process. It
> did not join in with the other gulls, but stayed apart.
> I am leaning toward wanting to call Heermann's as opposed to the two
> jaegers, mainly based on bill appearance (size and shape), but, also the
> overall , shall I say, "daintiness" of this bird's appearance.
> I will try to get back out there early, but, awakenings before sunrise are
> very rough for me. I am a devout "Swing Shifter", sunrise is the middle of
> my night.
> If you need to contact me for more info that I may not have noted here,
> either of my phones (H) or (C), if you've the numbers, or, my email address
> is noted on my ebird Profile description page.
> Prove me right or prove me wrong, I would like to get this bird re-found
> and positively id'd. Right now I'm reluctant to call this bird unless a
> hard id can be determined. More eyes can only help. Hope the bird can be
> re-found.
> Good Luck to you who may try for it and Continued Good Birding to all. RL
>
>
>
>
>
--
Louisa Evers
<elouisa603...>
Take care of the birds and you take care of the world
Date: 7/2/25 10:34 pm From: R L ROWLAND RONALD ROWLAND via groups.io <rlrowland...> Subject: [IBLE] Black's Ck. Bird Preserve dark gull/jaeger(?) this evening
Hokay, out there in "ible-land", RL here. Been a while. Got a poser for those who might be interested.
Was out at Black's Ck. Bird Preserve the last 1-1/2hrs. of daylight this evening, 02 July. Have not yet published my list for there. This first.
Making a last scan with my scope (Swarovski 80mm HD, circa 1999) before departing I found a smallish-medium sized appearing, very dark gull-ish-looking bird on the water swimming toward a mess of CAGU's (mostly, some juvie RBGU's) on the far shore (North). Given the light conditions, right at sunset, cloudy I was only able to narrow the bird down one of three possibilities: 1) a juvie Heermann's, 2) juvie dark-morph Parasitic Jaeger, or 3) juvie dark-morph Pomarine Jaeger. I dismissed juvie dark-morph Long-tailed Jaeger as the bird I was looking at had too much bill. Also, no way was this bird any kind of a Coot.
Rough description: bird smaller the nearby CAGU's it was moving toward, seemed comparable in size to a RBGU but much slimmer/trimmer appearing, not as bulky. again, bird body all dark, very dark brown to black, no other colors or even patterns discernible given the light conditions. not able to tell any bill coloration other than all dark and more gull-like than jaeger-esque. primaries longer than tail.
At this point bird turned, butt toward me, and went ashore, preened momentarily then appeared to tuck in for the night. Again, I was not able to see any other coloration stand-out during the brief preening process. It did not join in with the other gulls, but stayed apart.
I am leaning toward wanting to call Heermann's as opposed to the two jaegers, mainly based on bill appearance (size and shape), but, also the overall , shall I say, "daintiness" of this bird's appearance.
I will try to get back out there early, but, awakenings before sunrise are very rough for me. I am a devout "Swing Shifter", sunrise is the middle of my night.
If you need to contact me for more info that I may not have noted here, either of my phones (H) or (C), if you've the numbers, or, my email address is noted on my ebird Profile description page.
Prove me right or prove me wrong, I would like to get this bird re-found and positively id'd. Right now I'm reluctant to call this bird unless a hard id can be determined. More eyes can only help. Hope the bird can be re-found.
Good Luck to you who may try for it and Continued Good Birding to all. RL
Date: 6/27/25 4:08 pm From: Diann Stone via groups.io <dstoneak2id...> Subject: Re: [IBLE] Rufous hummer
Thanks for your hummer reports, interesting to read. In my Boise yard I've
seen only the expected Black-chinned, both M and F. I won't see Rufous
until closer to fall when they pass through.
Diann Stone
Boise Depot Bench
On Wed, Jun 25, 2025, 5:34 PM Judi and Frank via groups.io <bruneauboy=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> The first rufous of the season, a male, arrived today at our feeder. Just
> north of Donnelly near Lake Fork Creek.
>
>
>
Thanks for the report, Bill. I just don't have the BC hummer numbers, that usually arrive, as summer residents this yr. And, certainly, nothing close to your numbers. Very impressive!
Appreciate Carl Lunblad's post. I've just never had that early a push through our area of the Rufous (more like Judy & Frank and Jeff have noted). Last yr, we had probably our best Rufous numbers ever, as they went southward, starting July & well into August. We get a few Calliope, usually by Aug. Rich's post makes me hopeful, to see more, once they start heading south, this yr. The Calliope hummers are definitely the most aggressive of all, at the feeders. Small size doesn't necessarily relate to being meek in the hummer world, lol!
Date: 6/27/25 12:56 pm From: Jeff Brough - Idaho Falls via groups.io <brogjl...> Subject: Re: [IBLE] Rufous hummer
I live north of Brian along Willow creek near Ucon. Like him, I won't see any hummers until later in the summer. Living in a small oasis surrounded by farm fields, even in the spring & summer I get so few hummers of any kind that I quit putting out a feeder because the stuff goes bad too fast. I put out a feeder a little later in the year when I see the birds hitting my patch of bee balm. I've watched them many times fly right past the feeder to go to the flowers on it. When they finally get here, I see all 3 kinds common to this area.
Date: 6/27/25 7:08 am From: Carl Lundblad via groups.io <carl.lundblad...> Subject: Re: [IBLE] Rufous hummer
"Fall" (i.e., southbound) migration by Rufous Hummingbirds begins in
mid-late June, and they're hitting, e.g., southern Arizona this week. Why
Brian doesn't get them that early, I'm not sure. Southbound Wilson's
phalaropes and other shorebirds (peeps/yellowlegs) are also arriving about
now. Migration is back - thanks for the reports!
Carl Lundblad
Reno, NV
On Fri, Jun 27, 2025 at 7:03 AM Richard and Ann Rusnak via groups.io
<rarusnak62...> wrote:
> Yes, we also only see an occasional fall migration rufous at our Boise
> yard. Currently at the Valley Co cabin, we are enjoying major hummer wars
> between the black-chinned, calliope’s and rufous.
> Cheers, Rich
> [image: image0.jpeg]
>
> On Jun 26, 2025, at 7:11 PM, lcarrigan_55 via groups.io <carriganbw=
> <gmail.com...> wrote:
>
>
> That's good news! I won't get any Rufous here along SE ID Snake River
> until they start their Fall migration. Last yr, that started by mid-July.
> Now, Black-chinneds at the feeders, but not as many as last year. Know I
> have 4 for certain, but the nectar isn't draining nearly as fast this year.
>
> If Bill Moore is checking in, curious what your hummer action is like.
>
> Brian Carrigan
> Blackfoot
>
>
>
>
That's good news! I won't get any Rufous here along SE ID Snake River until they start their Fall migration. Last yr, that started by mid-July. Now, Black-chinneds at the feeders, but not as many as last year. Know I have 4 for certain, but the nectar isn't draining nearly as fast this year.
If Bill Moore is checking in, curious what your hummer action is like.
