Al Larson Photography

In the first place who would want this many birds in a cage? Think of all the soiled paper one would have to remove and other maintainance. With a window feeder one can enjoy the birds close at hand just as well. All one needs to do is keep a supply of food available. In this photo I have a multitude of Pine Siskins voratiously consuming rather expensive sunflower chips. By supplying sunflower chips I avoid the seed hulls that would otherwise accumulate beneath the feeder. The piece of wire fencing you see in the background keeps the wild turkeys off of the feeder. I refuse to supply sunflower chips to fill a turkey’s crop!

I looked out of the window this morning and was greeted by a view of fresh snow. This is the 15th of February and I was wishing that Spring would be peeking around the corner. Seven Pine Siskins have recently arrived and seem to be taking the weather in stride. The coat hangers in the photo tend to deter jays so that smaller birds can feed peacefully. The hangers also make handy perches for the smaller birds

After a light snowfall yesterday I ventured outside with the camera. One never knows what may get in front of the lens. We have five wild turkey toms that visit us nearly every day. They have found where I scatter seeds for the smaller birds. On this day just enough snow had fallen on the wet frozen ground to record the passing of various wildlife. The soft white snow gave way to the dark ground below giving contrast to the tracks of our passing toms.

I thought it was time to once again show some of Hilda’s artwork.  Here she put oils on a cross-cut blade. The elk and eagle seem right at home here by the lake, as do the fishermen and their camp. Notice how the crowns of the trees blend into the teeth. I think that this could grace almost any outdoor person’s mantel.

A few days ago on a trip to town I stopped by Lucky Peak Dam. This is a flock of Double-crested Cormorants that hauled out onto the rocks below the dam. They perch on the rocks to rest and dry out. Fishing is good below the turbins in the power plant.

Most of the birds have left my yard this fall. Once in a while a bird strays in and checks out the feeder. This morning this one showed up. It is a first-year Chipping Sparrow. Notice that the crown tends to be brown. Adult chippers have reddish crowns. The black eye-stripe and unmarked gray breast are good clues for identity.

For little guys they sure have large mouths. It keeps the parents busy filling these gaping holes. Notice the brightly-colored gape. This makes an easy target in which to deposit food. In less than three weeks these Mountain Bluebird chicks grow from just hatched to fledging. Consider the amount of food these little birds consume in this short time.

Thursday the 18th I happened by the Swainson hawk nest again. There was one nestling still in the nest and one out on a branch. This seems to me that it is so late in the season for hawks to be at the nest.

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.