Al Larson Photography

“When whippoorwills call, And evening draws nigh, We’ll be happy in my, Blue Heaven.” This is one of my favorite songs.

“Pooorwilllzz” Even though the call of the Common Poorwill is somewhat different than that of a Whippoorwill it has a similiar quality. It sounds as though it says “poorwill” with a little soft buzz at the end. In the dusk of early evening one can often hear the soft call of a poorwill in the mountains of southwest Idaho. It takes me back to my early youth when I worked on a ranch in the Jordan Valley, OR area. The birds came in quite close to the cabin. Oh, to relive those moments again!

The poorwill nestlings in this photo hatched from the eggs shown on this blog a few days ago. As I approached the nest site the attending adult flushed from the nest and with much ado invited me to follow. I, however, turned my attention to photographing these nestlings. After several shots from various angles I hastened away within a couple of minutes. My philosophy is, try to be not too intrusive and make my presence as brief as possible.

Addendum: After some research I have concluded that this is the nest of a Common Nighthawk. I’m sorry for the mistake.   Al

I would not like to have been present when this activity took place. Evidence shows that lightning struck this tree during an electrical storm. The tree stands on a hillside with few neighbors. The bolt traveled down the trunk knocking a corner from a nestbox hanging there. A few chips from the box were located on the ground below and a larger piece was found some 15 feet away. Sap flowed freely from the wound as evidenced by the drippings on the box top. Luckily the box contained only an abandoned rodent nest.

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Ah, summer! It is the time of year when nature is at her best. After giving birth in the spring to flowers, shrubs, animals and insects this new life grows and matures. The vast array of shapes, forms and colors is manifest. Beauty surrounds us, be aware.

Here we have an Anise Swallowtail Papilio zelicaon butterfly busily searching for and extracting nectar from a flower.

This Common Poorwill nest is the most elaborate that I have seen. The female for this nest chose a site near a pine tree and laid her eggs on the needles, no cup, no scrape. I usually find poorwill’s nest on bare ground under an over-hanging branch of a shrub. Two eggs is the normal clutch size. I’ve often wondered if the newly hatched chicks lingered on the spot and how long. A brief research found that the young are semi-precocial and if disturbed may move to nearby concealment. Both young and adults are criptically colored so as to blend in with nearly any background. It’s neat to hear the poorwill call in the early evening.

Addendum: After further research I have concluded that this is a nest of a Common Nighthawk. I’m sorry for the mistake.  Al

A few miles north of Jordan Valley, OR we pass by this old schoolhouse on Cow Creek. Many times I have passed by this historic building. Each year it seems to fall more in disrepair. I thought I had better take a picture of it before someone decides to demolish it.

Back in the late 1930s my brother Norton and his friend Everett Jones would play for country dances in this building. Since then, I’ve often wondered if there was a piano in this school. Norton played the piano for dances in Jordan Valley. Without a piano music was rendered with a guitar, harmonica and drums. Boom boxes and electronic music devices were unheard of in those days.

On the road from Jordan Valley, OR to DeLamar, ID we pass through a short narrow canyon with rocks on either side. I shot this photo about an hour before sunset.

I was fortunate to have a pair of Lewis’ Woodpecker nest in an old pine tree snag close to a bluebird nestbox. This one paused for a portrait before delivering a snack to one of its nestlings.

Exploring the deserts of Idaho will give a person a different perspective on what is often called a “barren waste.” Beauty lies at your feet in the spring with nearly every step. Here we have the beautiful Bitterroot (Lewisia rediviva). The leaves of this plant appear quite early in the season but wither away as it bursts into bloom. It looks like the blossoms rise directly from the soil.

Fourth  of July is the time to display patriotic colors. With the cooperation of our favorite bird we find here the red, white and blue. Mr. Mountain Bluebird helps us celebrate the Fourth.

Keep your camera at the ready and capture moments like this. When you are out and about you never know what you will find. How many times have you heard, “Oh rats! I left my camera in the car?”