Date: 3/22/26 12:51 pm From: Tom & Susan Soniville via groups.io <tomnsueid...> Subject: [IBLE] Bluebirds
We drove up to Centennial Marsh, near Hill City, yesterday. The water is running around the refuge, but the birds are thin. Did see a mixed flock on pintails, northern shovelers and mallards. A small flock of snow geese and a few canadians. Saw half a dozen Sandhill Cranes flying low. We then drove Old Bennet Mtn road and the Bluebird trail. Found about a dozen male Mountain Bluebirds along the lower stretch of the road.
Hopefully, the water holds out for the main migration. It is very dry on the prairie, already.
Date: 3/22/26 6:10 am From: Cliff Weisse via groups.io <cliffandlisa...> Subject: Re: [IBLE] Early Swainson's Hawks / Again
Thanks Bob.
On 3/20/26 09:41PM, Bob Davis via groups.io wrote:
> Broken record or not, I appreciate you trying to keep everyone honest!
>
>> On Mar 20, 2026, at 17:46, Cliff Weisse <cliffandlisa...> wrote:
>>
>> I know I'm a broken record on this but the annual spate of early Swainson's Hawk reports has begun in earnest in eBird. So far there are, as usual, no photos for documentation. Migration timing is very consistent so if you see a Swainson's Hawk before about the 29th of March it's really early. Please do your best to get photos, even if they aren't very good. FWIW there are zero records so far this year for UT, CO, WY, NV, Mt. The closest reports are in AZ, NM, CA and one each for western OR and WA. If they do arrive early it's important to document so keep your camera handy.
>>
>> Here's an interesting fact - early reports I've seen with photos, in Idaho and other states, tend to be subadult Bald Eagles as strange as that sounds. They appear hooded/bibbed flying or perched and have white in the wing linings in flight.
>>
>> Cliff
>>
>> --
>> Cliff and Lisa Weisse
>> Island Park, Idaho
>> <cliffandlisa...>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
>
--
Cliff and Lisa Weisse
Island Park, Idaho
<cliffandlisa...>
Date: 3/21/26 8:35 pm From: Ken Miracle via groups.io <chukar28...> Subject: Re: [IBLE] Osprey! (and others)
I photographed an Osprey yesterday morning 3-20-26 circling high over head above the Dianne Moore Nature Center Intermountain Bird Observatory Boise River.
> On Mar 21, 2026, at 8:42 PM, Michael Koob via groups.io <mkoobidaho...> wrote:
>
> Also saw an osprey working on it's nest on the pole on the east side of Linder Rd on Eagle Island this afternoon.
> Mike Koob
> From: <IBLE...> <mailto:<IBLE...> <IBLE...> <mailto:<IBLE...>> on behalf of bike4birds via groups.io <http://groups.io/> <tmccabe9...> <mailto:<tmccabe9...>> > Sent: Saturday, March 21, 2026 8:32 PM
> To: IBLE <ible...> <mailto:<ible...>> > Subject: [IBLE] Osprey! (and others)
>
> I'm not sure if I'm one of the firsts to see an Osprey --or one of the last. When I got to Veteran's Park Pond today, an Osprey was perched on top of a tree between the pond and the river. Amazing how many people were along the greenbelt and totally unaware of the bird. On my return, he was gone. But a hint of things to come.
> Another treat was a flyover by a huge "V" of Snow Geese when I was at Willow Lane. Quick estimate was 30 to 40 birds in the "V" and a similar number in a more disorganized flock of Snow Geese. I'm not sure if both groups were at the same elevation but the disorganized bunch spread out and blended with the VERY symmetrical "V." They were travelling rather fast and it took a moment of hearing their calls to realize they were not my normal geese.
> Final treat was Western Wood Pewees in a number of places, all heard and none seen.
> My final tally was 39 species in 13 miles. A decent number for the first full day of Spring.
> Tom McCabe, Boise
> (The day started with a Sharp-shinned Hawk catching an American Goldfinch in my back yard. Came and went in a flash.)
>
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: 3/21/26 7:49 pm From: Michael Koob via groups.io <mkoobidaho...> Subject: Re: [IBLE] Osprey! (and others)
Also saw an osprey working on it's nest on the pole on the east side of Linder Rd on Eagle Island this afternoon.
Mike Koob
________________________________
From: <IBLE...> <IBLE...> on behalf of bike4birds via groups.io <tmccabe9...>
Sent: Saturday, March 21, 2026 8:32 PM
To: IBLE <ible...>
Subject: [IBLE] Osprey! (and others)
I'm not sure if I'm one of the firsts to see an Osprey --or one of the last. When I got to Veteran's Park Pond today, an Osprey was perched on top of a tree between the pond and the river. Amazing how many people were along the greenbelt and totally unaware of the bird. On my return, he was gone. But a hint of things to come.
Another treat was a flyover by a huge "V" of Snow Geese when I was at Willow Lane. Quick estimate was 30 to 40 birds in the "V" and a similar number in a more disorganized flock of Snow Geese. I'm not sure if both groups were at the same elevation but the disorganized bunch spread out and blended with the VERY symmetrical "V." They were travelling rather fast and it took a moment of hearing their calls to realize they were not my normal geese.
Final treat was Western Wood Pewees in a number of places, all heard and none seen.
My final tally was 39 species in 13 miles. A decent number for the first full day of Spring.
Tom McCabe, Boise
(The day started with a Sharp-shinned Hawk catching an American Goldfinch in my back yard. Came and went in a flash.)
I'm not sure if I'm one of the firsts to see an Osprey --or one of the last. When I got to Veteran's Park Pond today, an Osprey was perched on top of a tree between the pond and the river. Amazing how many people were along the greenbelt and totally unaware of the bird. On my return, he was gone. But a hint of things to come.
Another treat was a flyover by a huge "V" of Snow Geese when I was at Willow Lane. Quick estimate was 30 to 40 birds in the "V" and a similar number in a more disorganized flock of Snow Geese. I'm not sure if both groups were at the same elevation but the disorganized bunch spread out and blended with the VERY symmetrical "V." They were travelling rather fast and it took a moment of hearing their calls to realize they were not my normal geese.
Final treat was Western Wood Pewees in a number of places, all heard and none seen.
My final tally was 39 species in 13 miles. A decent number for the first full day of Spring.
Tom McCabe, Boise
(The day started with a Sharp-shinned Hawk catching an American Goldfinch in my back yard. Came and went in a flash.)
Date: 3/20/26 8:41 pm From: Bob Davis via groups.io <rhdavis...> Subject: Re: [IBLE] Early Swainson's Hawks / Again
Broken record or not, I appreciate you trying to keep everyone honest!
> On Mar 20, 2026, at 17:46, Cliff Weisse <cliffandlisa...> wrote:
>
> I know I'm a broken record on this but the annual spate of early Swainson's Hawk reports has begun in earnest in eBird. So far there are, as usual, no photos for documentation. Migration timing is very consistent so if you see a Swainson's Hawk before about the 29th of March it's really early. Please do your best to get photos, even if they aren't very good. FWIW there are zero records so far this year for UT, CO, WY, NV, Mt. The closest reports are in AZ, NM, CA and one each for western OR and WA. If they do arrive early it's important to document so keep your camera handy.
>
> Here's an interesting fact - early reports I've seen with photos, in Idaho and other states, tend to be subadult Bald Eagles as strange as that sounds. They appear hooded/bibbed flying or perched and have white in the wing linings in flight.
>
> Cliff
>
> --
> Cliff and Lisa Weisse
> Island Park, Idaho
> <cliffandlisa...>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Date: 3/20/26 4:46 pm From: Cliff Weisse via groups.io <cliffandlisa...> Subject: [IBLE] Early Swainson's Hawks / Again
I know I'm a broken record on this but the annual spate of early
Swainson's Hawk reports has begun in earnest in eBird. So far there are,
as usual, no photos for documentation. Migration timing is very
consistent so if you see a Swainson's Hawk before about the 29th of
March it's really early. Please do your best to get photos, even if they
aren't very good. FWIW there are zero records so far this year for UT,
CO, WY, NV, Mt. The closest reports are in AZ, NM, CA and one each for
western OR and WA. If they do arrive early it's important to document so
keep your camera handy.
Here's an interesting fact - early reports I've seen with photos, in
Idaho and other states, tend to be subadult Bald Eagles as strange as
that sounds. They appear hooded/bibbed flying or perched and have white
in the wing linings in flight.
Cliff
--
Cliff and Lisa Weisse
Island Park, Idaho
<cliffandlisa...>
