Mules Ear Rides the Ridge

The dry hillsides of the rolling Boise Front Range, exploded into color this week. The Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata) are flowering in profusion, especially at the lower elevations on south facing slopes. Balsamroot are also known by the common name of Mules Ear, which is a reference to the arrow shaped leaves that get up to 6 inches long, and are covered with a dense mat of silver-gray hairs. These plants get up to 2 feet tall and the flowers are as large as 4 inches across, making for a very showy array on the mountain sides. They usually start to flower in late April, so they are very much on schedule this year, even though we have had a very dry spring. Bighorn sheep sheep are lambing at the same time as the Mules Ear is flowering. The tender sprouts, large roots and seeds are edible and were harvested by American Indians. The flowers and sprouts are also a favorite food of elk, deer and bighorn sheep. Once I see the Balsamroot in flower I know the hotter weather of summer will soon follow, even though snow is still a possibility. The fickle days of spring in the Rockies.

The Nesting Continues

I have been making trips, at least every other day, to the Red-Tailed Hawk aerie on Cottonwood Creek. On two days this week, she was standing on the edge of the nest, with her back to the sun, apparently shading the eggs. There are no signs of any chicks yet, unless she is keeping them close underwing. Many of the trees are starting to leaf out and the wild grasses are growing fast, with our warmer days and nights. The tall grass must make it harder for the hawks to hunt, but there is probably more prey available.

Hawk Jousts with Vultures

Image Courtesy of Alan D. Wilson, Naturespicsonline.com

A week ago on Monday (April 13, 2009) I went on a short hike, to check on the red-tailed (RT) hawk nest, on Cottonwood Creek. The sun was warm that day and the female RT was sitting on the nest, as she has been doing for the last 2-3 weeks. The eggs may have hatched by now. I was surprised to see 3 Turkey Vultures, dark brown colored with a two toned underwings, flying 200 feet above the aerie, which they apparently spotted, and one bird was starting to circle. It's amazing how graceful turkey vultures are, with their 5 foot wingspan.

Suddenly one of the vultures made an evasive move and I saw a streak of brownish-red flash by. A red-tailed Hawk had dive bombed the vultures, flying directly at them. The RT flew up the canyon a short distance and wheeled around, and was back in seconds, and cannonballed directly at the vultures. The vultures continuing up the canyon, rapidly gaining elevation, beating a hasty retreat. The RT made another pass, flying like a nimble fighter plane, compared to the vultures, which moved like lumbering cargo planes or bombers.

I suspect it was the male RT hawk protecting the female on the nest. The turkey vultures were probably just curious when they saw the female RT on the nest and they would have been in a real fix if they approached it, with the two adult hawks present. It all happened in less than a minute and the vultures were gone but the male RT continued to patrol up and down the canyon, for a short time, flying just a few hundred feet above the nest. The female RT stayed on the nest and never moved an inch during the entire encounter.

Then I saw the male RT quickly gain elevation and he was soon flying hundreds of feet above a nearby ridge. There was another hawk, riding the updrafts, along that same ridge top, and the male winged towards the intruder. He closed on the meddler but stayed back a dozen feet, and they flew wing to wing for a short time. Soon after there was only one soaring hawk in view. I am not which hawk it was.

On April 16th I checked on the raptors, and the female Red-Tailed Hawk was sitting quietly on the nest. I continued on my hike and was back in that area, a few minutes later and there were two hawks on the aerie. The male had returned to check on the female red-tailed hawk.

Flight of the Feathered Fisherman

Images Courtesy Alan D. Wilson, Naturespicsonline.com

The American White Pelican. The second largest bird in North America. Only the California Condor can claim to be bigger. The pelican is a beautiful bird with an incredible 108 inch wing span, which is over 8 feet! In comparison the Bald Eagle has a wing span of 80 inches. They are one of the most graceful flying birds I have ever seen, and it's quite a sight to see several of them, flying in perfect formation.

In April of 2009 the Idaho Fish and Game Department (IDFG) issued a draft 5 year management plan (2009-2013) for the management of the American White Pelican and native cutthroat trout in Idaho. The plan has an objective of reducing American Pelican numbers from the current estimated population of 6,400 birds to 2,800, over a 5 year period. Adult birds would be shot or the eggs would be killed, to reach this goal. The plan indicates that this might increase the number of native cutthroat trout, due to the reduction of predation.

Blackfoot Reservoir is located on the Blackfoot River, near the town of Henry, Idaho. The Blackfoot River originates in eastern Idaho, with the headwaters located in the Caribou Range, Wooley Range and Grays Range. The Blackfoot River flows into Blackfoot Reservoir, near Henry and then meanders on to the Snake River. Lake Walcott and Minidoka Wildlife Refuge are located on the Snake River, near the town of Burley, Idaho

If the numbers of pelicans are reduced there is no way to monitor the success or failure of the proposed IDFG project. If by chance trout numbers increase (with a decrease of numbers of pelicans) was the project successful? Who knows. There is no way to measure that, because the increase in numbers of trout might be directly related to an increase in water quality and quantity. There is no guarantee that killing pelicans will increase trout numbers, because in the end its all about trout habitat, which is related to water quality and quantity, and stream side vegetation.

The IDFG plan is incomplete and does not address the positive benefits of pelicans on the environment and on trout species or other fish populations. The plan indicates the pelican's diets consist mainly of non-trout species such as the chub. If 50% of the pelicans are killed what is the effect on the chub population? If the chub population greatly increases what is the effect on the trout? The IDFG plan does not address this.

The proposed IDFG plan does have several good elements (other than killing pelicans) including hazing pelicans away from spawning trout and in-stream modification or refuge areas in the water.

The real problem with maintaining trout populations, is the dams and irrigation canals, but the IDFG plan indicates there will be no attempt to mitigate or change those operations. More protection for stream side vegetation, and additional pollution control is also needed. Changing the way the dams and irrigation canals are managed would take long term planning and commitment, by the State of Idaho, but in the end it is the only real solution.

One of the biggest thrills of fishing in Idaho is enjoying the outdoors and the beautiful scenery, and watching the dippers, eagles, ducks, ospreys, and pelicans, plying the waters for food, or just flying around. What is the value of seeing a flight of pelicans flying down the Snake River? I can't put a dollar figure on it but it's a beautiful sight. Would I want to see half of the pelicans in Idaho killed? No and it would be a real travesty. Pelicans winter in the south in Mexico or on the Gulf Coast, and they aren't really just Idaho birds, so who are we to decide their fate? Who indeed.

Forked Pondo Pine

On a walkabout last year, in the Boise Mountains, up Cottonwood Creek, I was traversing through a grove of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), or pondos, and stumbled upon a tree that had a remarkable fork in it. The bark of the pondo was a yellowish color and the bole was forked, at around 10 feet from the ground. The fork was probably created when the tree was a sapling and the top was injured by a falling tree, or maybe by a porcupine chewing on it. Ponderosa pine is the signature tree of the American West, or much of the West. The bark thickens as the tree matures and turns a yellowish color. The thick bark of the pondo serves to protect it from wildland fires, that commonly sweep through the forest.

As a result of the damage, the top of the tree was died. Assassinated by a falling chunk of wood or the jaws of a hungry mammal. The upper branches then competed to be the leading branch, over the next few years. The head honcho. El Jefe. Two branches in particular, managed to stage a growth spurt over the next decade, and both survived, creating a fork. A double topped tree. A woody duo.

The cleft was a perfect nesting spot for a bird or raccoon, or maybe even a tired hiker. A fire had burned through this area several years ago, and it left char marks at the base of the tree, and killed the lower branches but the tree easily survived the flames. The bunch grass and shrubs had grown back thick and luxurious, leaving few traces of the fire.

Growing up in the Rocky Mountains there were pondos in our back yard, and we perfected our climbing skills on the wide sweeping branches. Mountaineers of the woodlands. Many times we clambered all the way to the very tip top of the tree, only to enjoy a magnificent view of the Mission Mountains with Goat Peak, and Mount Calowahcan in the distance. The neighbor kids would sometimes accompany us and most of them were adept climbers, but occasionally I would have to coax one of them down the tree when they became scared. Going up the tree was fairly easy but going down could be a tad bit scary, because you were looking down and it was hard to see your footholds.

In addition to tree climbing I also engaged one time, in some hazard fuel reduction. All it took was matches and the imagination of a 10 year old. My sister and I spent a couple of hours lighting dead pondo needles under the trees around the house. Unsupervised of course. I don't recommend anyone playing with matches but it caused no harm.