Al Larson Photography

Every lati-long in the State of Idaho has had Mountain Bluebirds reported in them. Bluebirds are one of fourteen species of birds that have this distinction. Is there any wonder then that it was nominated by school children to be our State Bird? About 1932 the Idaho State Legislature made the Mountain Bluebird our official State Bird.

Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides) is a member of the thrush family. It is thus related to the American Robin which is also a thrush. It is slightly over six and a half inches long. The male is all blue fading to almost white on the underbelly. The female is mostly gray with a bit of blue on the tail and wing primaries.

Bluebirds are cavity nesters using abandoned woodpecker nests, other natural cavities and manmade nest boxes. By putting up nest boxes I have become acquainted with our little blue friends. Some bluebirds are quite wild and others seem very tame. The more tame ones I label as “photogenic” as they come in close and allow me to photograph them. This photo is an example.

The Red-naped Sapsucker was back in the oak tree again today, as were a host of butterflies (see entry for 10/23/07). It is a handsome bird and this one is fairly gentle. It let me approach to within 10 feet of it before it got restless and flew away. It didn’t stay away for very long. It seemed interested in sampling the contents of its sap-wells and perhaps creating more wells. I hope it doesn’t get carried away and girdle the tree with its many wells. A few years ago a sapsucker drilled so many holes in another oak tree that the tree died above the damage. Luckily a small branch below the holes survived, turned upward and is now the main trunk of the tree. The tree is still alive.

In this manner sapsuckers can be destructive. But they are far more beneficial by helping keep insect populations under control.

 Here it is the 23rd  of October, just 2 months away from the shortest day of the year. I mowed the lawn for the last time this season. The day was warm after a period of cool wet weather. I pulled up a lawn chair for a little break after chasing the lawn-mower. While sipping a cool “Coke” I happened to notice some activity around the oak tree by the creek. It seems a little late in the season but there were butterflies flitting about the yard and they were congregating on the trunk of the tree. I had to investigate. I counted a minimum of 25 individual butterflies of 3 different species. I limbered up the old Kodak and fired away. The accompanying photo is one of several taken on this occasion.

The butterflies were attracted to the sap-wells in the tree made by a resident Red-naped Sapsucker (a woodpecker). Sap-wells are holes in the bark of trees. Sap ooze from these holes and the sapsucker drinks this sap as do many other critters including butterflies. Hummingbirds have been observed visiting this handout. The sapsucker also gets protein here by catching insects that are attracted to this food source. Usually there are several sap-wells arranged in a horizontal line. Sometimes there are several rows of these wells and make a pattern like a cribbage board.

Look for the story behind photo-ops.

When I’m out checking Bluebird nest boxes I feel it’s almost like Christmas morning. It is a surprise when I open a box and find what’s inside. I usually expect to find a nest with eggs or nestlings. Sometimes a female bluebird is inside incubating eggs. Other birds or critters may have taken up housekeeping there as well. In this case I opened the box and there was a weasel inside. It hunkered back in the box, not wanting to exit by coming toward me. It seemed to want to escape by the hole in which it entered but the hole was now in the wrong place. I managed to squeeze off several photos of the little rascal then stepped back to let it scurry off to freedom. I usually carry my camera in a case strapped to my belt so I was ready to shoot the picture. Weasels give off an offensive musk-like odor which I find unpleasant. They are visious little animals and I take great care to avoid being bitten by them. They are predators of the first order. They make quick work of killing the contents of a bird nest, nestlings and adult birds. I try not to harm them as they are part of Nature’s scheme. But I do wish they would not raid my Bluebird nests. There are other predators that visit these nests too and sometime in the future I’ll post a photo of them.

It looks like it is going to be a very hard winter this year judging by the size of this woodpile. Nature has a way of telling critters to lay in a good supply of provisions when a bad winter is ahead. No matter if the weather will be mild or severe, I like to be prepared. There’s 14 cords of split pine wood here. We should be warm and cozy until Springtime.

 The colors keep getting better all of the time. Here is a wider-angled shot of the picture I posted several days ago. Every where I look the brilliant fall display of leaves is amazing. This picture was taken 2 days ago. Already some of the colors have started to fade. Soon they will all turn to brown and fall to the earth. Snow will cover them. Then they will turn to nourishment to feed new growth in the spring. But now, for a fleeting moment, let us enjoy the beauty that has been provided for us.

Blue Grouse

While traveling the road up Blacks Creek and along the South Fork of the Boise River to Prairie, ID in Spring and early Summer one is apt to come across Blue Grouse displaying along the roadside. This one evidently had a mate close by and was more intent on watching it than me. My vehicle was on a down grade. I stopped and coasted intermittently until I was within a few feet of the bird. I then zoomed the lens to get this photo. Aren’t these zoom lens wonderful? A point to remember is to always have the camera close at hand. Another reminder is “a car makes a very good blind!”

Changing Seasons

When the Goldenrods start to bloom in late summer we know that Autumn will soon be upon us. Yellow seems to be the most predominate color of the late blooming flowers. I’m always fascinated by the progression of native wild flowers from the early Snowdrops and Yellow Bells to the late Goldenrod and Rabbit Brush. Well, here it is nearing the middle of October and the Goldenrod is past its prime. The yellow of its youth has faded away and the gray of old age has taken over. But, there is still beauty in this aging specimen.

We once had a squirrel that came to our bird feeders. It became very tame and allowed me to come close. In fact it would eat out of my hand. In this photo it was helping itself to the sunflower seeds in the plastic container.

I was using the wide-angle setting on my camera. The squirrel was very close which resulted in a slightly distorted head. I think it adds a little comedy to an otherwise normal photo.

Toward Toward the end of the day the sun was covered with a heavy layer of clouds so there were no shadows. I steadied myself against a post and framed this shot of hawthornes in full autumn splendor.