Bird nests range from simple to elaborate
Just when I think the robin can’t hold any more grass in its beak, it leans over and picks up one more piece before flying…
Tag: Fauna
Caterpillars utilize a variety of tactics to stay alive
As a slow-moving, plump morsel, caterpillars are an ideal target for a predator’s meal. However, caterpillars still exist because they have developed means to escape…
Great blue herons more than excellent fishers
Standing motionless in stagnant water, a great blue heron’s head suddenly reels forward into the water and emerges with a small fish. Great blue herons…
Shrews may resemble mice but they are different
Shrews are one of the smallest mammals in North America and the smallest one resides in North Idaho–the pygmy shrew. The pygmy shrew weighs between…
Look for shorter tails on voles and lemmings
Scurrying around underground, in meadows and through leaf litter are several small, furry mammals. Last week, I wrote about the mice found in North Idaho…
Small, furry critters include more than mice
Signs of the smallest mammals are more frequently seen than the animal itself unless you happen to see one scurry across the road. Mice, voles,…
Caching allows early nesting for Clark’s nutcracker
Laying eggs in March would be a risky venture for most birds because of the lack of food available to feed nestlings. But an alpine…
Sweet cottonwood fragrance will announce spring
One day in early spring, the sweet fragrance of cottonwood buds will fill the air. The large pointed buds of black cottonwoods are filled with…
Life under an icy ceiling
Winter brings hardships for many animals–lack of food, deep snow and cold temperatures. For fish sealed from the winter landscape by a ceiling of ice,…
White-tailed deer skull yields rare surprise
After picking up his white-tailed deer skull from the taxidermist this fall, Kody Atkins found out the deer had an uncommon feature–upper canine teeth. The…
Chickadees utilize various tactics to survive
One of the most loyal visitors to bird feeders are chickadees. No matter what the weather, chickadees quickly dart to a feeder, grab a seed…
Eurasian collared-doves a relative newcomer to Idaho
When thinking of invasive species, one often thinks of weeds. But some birds also qualify as invasive, most notably European starlings, house finches, English sparrows…
Caterpillars utilize a variety of tactics to stay alive
As a slow-moving, plump morsel, caterpillars are an ideal target for a predator’s meal. However, caterpillars still exist because they have developed means to escape…
Great blue herons more than excellent fishers
Standing motionless in stagnant water, a great blue heron’s head suddenly reels forward into the water and emerges with a small fish. Great blue herons…
Shrews may resemble mice but they are different
Shrews are one of the smallest mammals in North America and the smallest one resides in North Idaho–the pygmy shrew. The pygmy shrew weighs between…
Look for shorter tails on voles and lemmings
Scurrying around underground, in meadows and through leaf litter are several small, furry mammals. Last week, I wrote about the mice found in North Idaho…
Small, furry critters include more than mice
Signs of the smallest mammals are more frequently seen than the animal itself unless you happen to see one scurry across the road. Mice, voles,…
Caching allows early nesting for Clark’s nutcracker
Laying eggs in March would be a risky venture for most birds because of the lack of food available to feed nestlings. But an alpine…
Sweet cottonwood fragrance will announce spring
One day in early spring, the sweet fragrance of cottonwood buds will fill the air. The large pointed buds of black cottonwoods are filled with…
Life under an icy ceiling
Winter brings hardships for many animals–lack of food, deep snow and cold temperatures. For fish sealed from the winter landscape by a ceiling of ice,…
White-tailed deer skull yields rare surprise
After picking up his white-tailed deer skull from the taxidermist this fall, Kody Atkins found out the deer had an uncommon feature–upper canine teeth. The…
Chickadees utilize various tactics to survive
One of the most loyal visitors to bird feeders are chickadees. No matter what the weather, chickadees quickly dart to a feeder, grab a seed…
Eurasian collared-doves a relative newcomer to Idaho
When thinking of invasive species, one often thinks of weeds. But some birds also qualify as invasive, most notably European starlings, house finches, English sparrows…