Al Larson Photography

Late afternoon last Saturday I stopped by a Swainson’s Hawk nest on the Blacks Creek Road. The adult bird posed briefly for me then flew away. There were two pint-sized nestlings in the nest. This was the 23rd of July. In my opinion this is a rather late date for having small nestlings in the nest. Other hawk nests have long since been evacuated.

As I banded these Ash-throated Flycatcher nestlings I placed them in Jim Holcomb’s hands for a photo-op. How often does one get a chance to observe this species this close at hand? Ash-throated Flycatchers are probably more numerous in southwestern Idaho than we realize but they are seldom seen and reported.

As I approached a nestbox located on a large pine tree this fine fellow jumped up and scampered down into the brush below the road. He apparently thought he was well hidden and briefly peeked out at me from his hiding place. He soon retreated out of sight. This mule deer had been resting on the edge of the road in the shade of a huge ponderosa pine tree.

I have been enyoying the presence of an Ash-throated Flycatcher on one of my “bluebird trails.” After 29 years of monitoring bluebird nestboxes I found a flycatcher nesting in one of them. In each of the succeeding four years I’ve been blessed with one of these birds in a nestbox.

First the bird builds a grass nest. Then it brings in balls of fur about one and a half inches in diameter. Up to five or six eggs are laid in this fur-lined nest. After a couple of weeks the eggs hatch and the parents begin feeding the nestlings. The above photo shows the nestlings at five or six days old. They’ll be gone about three weeks after hatching.

Last Sunday I was accompanied by three ladies interested in my Bluebird Trail. We managed to monitor 62 of the 127 boxes on the route. We banded 46 nestlings. This trail is located in the Owyhee mountains along the Triangle road. Most of the nestboxes are mounted on juniper trees out of sight from the road.

The above photo was taken near Toy summit at the top of Bachman Grade. The box is mounted on a Mountain Mohogany tree near a pass overlooking the Snake River Plain. I call this box “a home with a view.” The lovely lady is Susie Thayer who was my chauffeur for the day. I am always happy to share “my bluebirds” with friends.

I was out on the road to Prairie yesterday. I was amazed at the display of our state flower along the south fork of the Boise river. The Syringa is also known as Mock Orange. I really enjoyed the fragrance of these beautiful flowers that filled the air as I took many photos.