Date: 8/8/26 8:33 pm From: Ken Miracle via groups.io <chukar28...> Subject: Re: [IBLE] Pileated Woodpecker near Ashton
Pileated have been in the Wood River Valley riparian for at least the last 10 years. They were my nemesis for some time. I finally went up and saw them for the first time when I knew what I was seeing at Ponderosa State Park. Shortly after being surrounded by mom dad and the kids at Ponderosa I had one fly over my head and land in a tree at the Intermountain Bird Observatory Lucky Peak banding station Now I see and hear them quite frequently all along the Boise Front and they are regulars at IBO Lucky Peak. There have been a few unconfirmed sightings in the last couple of years along the Boise River upstream from the start of the Bethine Church River Trail upstream to Lucky Peak Dam. Last year I heard one at Barber Park but could not find it.
> On Aug 8, 2026, at 7:17 PM, Cliff Weisse via groups.io <cliffandlisa...> wrote:
>
> A couple days ago I was stuck at a road construction site on US 20 @ Ashton Hill, about five miles north of Ashton and Pileated Woodpecker flew across the road and landed in a tree it started hammering on. This is by far the furthest south I've seen one in eastern Idaho. For whatever reason they have moved into the Centennial Mountains along the Idaho/Montana border (as well as the Gallatin valley and Bozeman, MT area). Maybe they're going to start showing up in riparian areas in the upper Snake River Valley? Time will tell.
>
> Cliff
>
> --
> Cliff and Lisa Weisse
> Island Park, Idaho
> <cliffandlisa...>
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Ken Miracle
<chukar28...>
208-570-2780
"Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God" 2COR 3:5
Date: 8/8/26 7:51 pm From: Chris Johnson via groups.io <creejohnson...> Subject: Re: [IBLE] Pileated Woodpecker near Ashton
I rarely post here because I live in Oregon but I’ll second Cliff’s
observation. I was visiting my parents in Bozeman at our family home and a
pileated flew into a beech tree and started hammering away until the
resident black billed magpies chased it off. My mom got to see it which was
great. She’ll be a birder yet! They seem to have become somewhat common
there just what I’ve noticed in eBird lists although that was the first one
I’ve seen in Montana.
Chris
Bend OR
On Sat, Aug 8, 2026 at 6:17 PM Cliff Weisse via groups.io <cliffandlisa=
<octobersetters.com...> wrote:
> A couple days ago I was stuck at a road construction site on US 20 @
> Ashton Hill, about five miles north of Ashton and Pileated Woodpecker
> flew across the road and landed in a tree it started hammering on. This
> is by far the furthest south I've seen one in eastern Idaho. For
> whatever reason they have moved into the Centennial Mountains along the
> Idaho/Montana border (as well as the Gallatin valley and Bozeman, MT
> area). Maybe they're going to start showing up in riparian areas in the
> upper Snake River Valley? Time will tell.
>
> Cliff
>
> --
> Cliff and Lisa Weisse
> Island Park, Idaho
> <cliffandlisa...>
>
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Date: 8/8/26 6:17 pm From: Cliff Weisse via groups.io <cliffandlisa...> Subject: [IBLE] Pileated Woodpecker near Ashton
A couple days ago I was stuck at a road construction site on US 20 @
Ashton Hill, about five miles north of Ashton and Pileated Woodpecker
flew across the road and landed in a tree it started hammering on. This
is by far the furthest south I've seen one in eastern Idaho. For
whatever reason they have moved into the Centennial Mountains along the
Idaho/Montana border (as well as the Gallatin valley and Bozeman, MT
area). Maybe they're going to start showing up in riparian areas in the
upper Snake River Valley? Time will tell.
Cliff
--
Cliff and Lisa Weisse
Island Park, Idaho
<cliffandlisa...>
You're definitely on the Hummingbird Highway, Bill! Along the Snake, I don't have near the hummer numbers. Birds taking about 6 oz total nectar/day with adult male & female Rufous coming in & Black-chinneds, again adult males & females & a few juveniles.
But, making up for it with the Black-headed Grosbeaks! Going through ~4 lb of black oil sunflower seeds daily with as many as 10 at the platform feeder & 6-8 waiting in the trees. Males, females & juveniles. Seems to be a bumper crop of young, this season.
Date: 7/26/26 1:15 pm From: Diann Stone via groups.io <dstoneak2id...> Subject: Re: [IBLE] Hoot Owl Hummers
Interesting report to read. I'm impressed with 300 hummers! Sandhill Cranes
are special to me, so i'm glad the colt has grown tp accompany the parents
in flight.
Diann Stone - Boise Depot Bench
On Sun, Jul 26, 2026 at 1:05 PM Bill Moore via groups.io <hootowlbill=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> I’ve got three four cup hummer feeders up and we’re going through about
> 1.5 per day lately, about 45 cups sugar total consumed. By energy balance
> that’s about 300 hummers feeding here. You’re welcome birds. I’ve seen a
> few rufous and pretty sure I have all four local species. Lots of females
> and juvies which are work to ID I don’t do. Mostly BH and not many calliope.
>
> There are many BH Grosbeaks at sunflower feeder. I think they are on
> second brood as I saw a smaller one begging this morning.
>
> Local Sandhills did a good job hiding their colt, which is now fledged and
> flying with it’s larger adults.
>
> Bill Moore
> Hoot Owl Rd
> Inkom I’d
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Date: 7/26/26 12:05 pm From: Bill Moore via groups.io <hootowlbill...> Subject: [IBLE] Hoot Owl Hummers
I’ve got three four cup hummer feeders up and we’re going through about 1.5 per day lately, about 45 cups sugar total consumed. By energy balance that’s about 300 hummers feeding here. You’re welcome birds. I’ve seen a few rufous and pretty sure I have all four local species. Lots of females and juvies which are work to ID I don’t do. Mostly BH and not many calliope.
There are many BH Grosbeaks at sunflower feeder. I think they are on second brood as I saw a smaller one begging this morning.
Local Sandhills did a good job hiding their colt, which is now fledged and flying with it’s larger adults.
