{"id":69228,"date":"2020-04-30T05:39:50","date_gmt":"2020-04-30T11:39:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=69228"},"modified":"2026-05-09T11:30:51","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T16:30:51","slug":"nesting-mountain-bluebirds-and-other-woodland-birds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/04\/30\/nesting-mountain-bluebirds-and-other-woodland-birds\/","title":{"rendered":"Nesting Mountain Bluebirds And Other Woodland Birds"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MaleMale Mountain Bluebird at the edge of a forest \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Yesterday I had a blast photographing a pair of Mountain Bluebirds at a natural nesting cavity at the edge of a forest along with some other woodland birds. On one of my last trips to this area I spotted a Northern Flicker checking out an old nesting cavity in the area and I wanted to see if any secondary cavity nesting birds had decided to use it to nest in this breeding season.<\/p>\n

At first there were four Mountain Bluebirds<\/span><\/a> in the general location of the nesting cavity and they appeared to be having a prolonged territorial skirmish. After several skirmishes one pair of the Mountain Bluebirds left the area. My photos show the mated pair that remained near the nesting cavity.<\/p>\n

\"MountainMountain Bluebird shadow on an Aspen \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

This photo shows the shadow of one of the bluebirds on the trunk of the aspen tree that has the nesting cavity. I quite liked seeing the shadow falling on the tree and had to photograph it.<\/p>\n

\"MountainMountain Bluebird male close up \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/400, ISO 500, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The male and female Mountain Bluebirds moved around from tree to tree and branch to branch. Sometimes they perched so close that all I could do was take close up portraits of them. I’m glad the bluebirds approached as close as they did because I think portraits show wonderful details.<\/p>\n

\"FemaleFemale Mountain Bluebird looking up at her mate \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The behavior of the male and female Mountain Bluebirds made it very obvious that they were a mated pair. In this photo the female is looking at her mate who landed on a branch above her.<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale Mountain Bluebird inside a nesting cavity \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Both the male and female bluebirds checked out the nesting cavity frequently and defended it from a House Wren that seemed determined to take over the nest. The House Wren sang continuously in the area and when it got too close to the nesting cavity the Mountain Bluebirds chased it away. Repeatedly. I tried several times to get photos of the wren but I always had something in the way and couldn’t get a clear view of it.<\/p>\n

\"MountainMountain Bluebird female with nesting materials \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/800, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The female Mountain Bluebird spent time gathering nesting materials and placing them inside the nesting cavity when she wasn’t perched on the branches of the trees on the warmth of the morning sun. She has quite a bill full of grasses in this photo.<\/p>\n

\"SpringSpring male Yellow-rumped Warbler in an aspen \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/640, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

As I photographed the pair of bluebirds other woodland birds caught my eyes and I trained my lens on them too. When this male Yellow-rumped Warbler in breeding plumage appeared on one of the aspens that has already started to leaf out I took a short series of images of him.<\/p>\n

\"FemaleFemale Mountain Bluebird gathering nesting materials \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 500, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The female bluebird gathered grasses from along the edge of the recently graded dirt road and when she found what she was looking for she’d fly to the nesting cavity with it to line her nest.<\/p>\n

\"RegalRegal adult male Mountain Bluebird \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/500, ISO 500, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The male bluebird watched the female gathering nesting materials and kept an eye out for the pesky House Wren. When the wren got too close to the nest the male bluebird chased it off.<\/p>\n

\"AdultAdult Chipping Sparrow during breeding season \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

There were several Chipping Sparrows in the area flying back and forth across the road, chasing each other and singing from the tops of nearby junipers. They looked so dashing in their breeding plumage that when they landed within range I took their photos too. They look sharp even perched on a clod of dirt the grader left at the side of the road.<\/p>\n

\"ChippingChipping Sparrow and spring aspen leaves \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/200, ISO 500, +1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Or perched in an aspen with newly unfurled leaves. In the shadows. From a distance.<\/p>\n

\"MountainMountain Bluebird male looking up at its nest \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/640, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The male Mountain Bluebird appeared to like this perch that was below the nesting cavity because he landed on it several times. I liked how the morning light lit him up along with the bark of the aspens in the background.<\/p>\n

\"AdultAdult Northern House Wren singing in a forest \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/640, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

And after trying several times I was finally able to photograph the determined, pesky Northern House Wren singing through a gap in the branches of a juniper. Mission accomplished.<\/p>\n

After viewing the photos that I took at home I realized that if I hadn’t gone up into this canyon a while back to get out of a photographic rut while trusting my instincts<\/span><\/a> I might have missed out on taking these photos and the hundreds of others I have taken up there.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good. Stay safe.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Bird finding tip: Just because a location isn’t birdy one time that doesn’t mean it is bird-less all<\/em> the time. My advice is to go back, check it out again, in a different season or a different time of day. From one day to the next or from one season to another the level of bird activity can be very different.<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Mountain Bluebird photos plus facts and information about this species. Click here<\/span><\/a> to see all of my bird photos.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday I had a blast photographing a pair of Mountain Bluebirds at a natural nesting cavity at the edge of a forest along with some other woodland birds.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":145268,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27,3541,1369,2586,487],"tags":[4004,1919,9810,5933,4880,4897,4053,4073,3940,3543,9809,4142,9808,5370,6259,6949,8136,6903,4062,5653,228,4069,2580,440,2587,4104,6211,4046,9551,2326,698,1994,4339,4179,855,4195,3544,165,4881,4076,2585,3888,3889,5802,3822,2430],"class_list":["post-69228","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-chipping-sparrows","category-mountain-bluebirds","category-house-wrens","category-yellow-rumped-warblers","tag-adult","tag-aspen","tag-bird-finding-tip","tag-bluebird","tag-bluebirds","tag-branch","tag-breeding-plumage","tag-breeding-season","tag-canyon","tag-chipping-sparrow","tag-clod","tag-close-up","tag-dirt","tag-forest","tag-forest-edge","tag-gathering","tag-instincts","tag-looking-up","tag-male","tag-mate","tag-mountain-bluebird","tag-mountains","tag-nesting-cavity","tag-nesting-materials","tag-house-wren","tag-perched","tag-photographic-rut","tag-portrait","tag-regal","tag-road","tag-setophaga-coronata","tag-shadow","tag-sialia-currucoides","tag-singing-2","tag-sparrow","tag-sparrows","tag-spizella-passerina","tag-spring","tag-thrushes","tag-trees","tag-troglodytes-aedon","tag-warbler","tag-warblers","tag-wren","tag-wrens","tag-yellow-rumped-warbler"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mountain-bluebird-male-nesting-cavity-mia-mcpherson-8703-1.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-i0A","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":46558,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/05\/03\/sapsuckers-bluebirds-and-nuthatches-and-the-magical-sapsucker-tree\/","url_meta":{"origin":69228,"position":0},"title":"Sapsuckers, Bluebirds and Nuthatches and the Magical Sapsucker Tree","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 3, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Two years ago today I was in the Targhee National Forest of Clark County, Idaho photographing birds at what I called the \"Magical Sapsucker Tree\".","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Williamson's Sapsucker on a tree with three nesting cavities showing, Targhee National Forest, Clark County, Idaho","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/williamsons-sapsucker-male-nesting-tree-mia-mcpherson-7075.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/williamsons-sapsucker-male-nesting-tree-mia-mcpherson-7075.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/williamsons-sapsucker-male-nesting-tree-mia-mcpherson-7075.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":37342,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/03\/24\/mountain-bluebird-plumage-development-stages\/","url_meta":{"origin":69228,"position":1},"title":"Mountain Bluebird Plumage Development Stages","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 24, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"These images from different times of the year show Mountain Bluebird plumage development stages from not long after fledging to adulthood.","rel":"","context":"In "Beaverhead County"","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Perched juvenile Mountain Bluebird, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mountain-bluebird-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-7094.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mountain-bluebird-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-7094.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mountain-bluebird-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-7094.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mountain-bluebird-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-7094.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":23227,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/05\/04\/black-and-blue-all-over-with-just-a-splash-of-red\/","url_meta":{"origin":69228,"position":2},"title":"Black and Blue All Over With Just a Splash of Red","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 4, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Well, it was another fun morning at the Magical Sapsucker Tree and today the cast was joined by a pair of Mountain Bluebirds who seem dead set on taking over the Northern Flicker cavity.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Female Mountain Bluebird at a Northern Flicker nesting cavity, Targhee National Forest, Clark County, Idaho","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mountain-bluebird-female-mia-mcpherson-6127.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mountain-bluebird-female-mia-mcpherson-6127.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mountain-bluebird-female-mia-mcpherson-6127.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mountain-bluebird-female-mia-mcpherson-6127.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8865,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/07\/13\/the-amazing-legacy-of-the-bluebird-man\/","url_meta":{"origin":69228,"position":3},"title":"The Amazing Legacy of the Bluebird Man","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 13, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I want to thank Neil Paprocki for sharing information about Al Larson and the upcoming film The Bluebird Man, I have learned a lot from the web site and through my interview with Neil and I am all for learning more about the wonderful natural world around me.","rel":"","context":"In "Beaverhead County"","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Female Mountain Bluebird with prey at the nest box, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mountain-bluebird-female-nest-box-prey-mia-mcpherson-9124.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mountain-bluebird-female-nest-box-prey-mia-mcpherson-9124.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mountain-bluebird-female-nest-box-prey-mia-mcpherson-9124.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":59456,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/08\/12\/picture-this-utah-could-lose-our-mountain-bluebirds\/","url_meta":{"origin":69228,"position":4},"title":"Picture This: Utah Could Lose Our Mountain Bluebirds","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 12, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Our current climate crisis could mean Utah might lose our Mountain Bluebirds and it is not just us, it is Idaho, California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming that will also be affected if action isn't taken now.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Mountain Bluebird perched in an elderberry, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mountain-bluebird-male-elderberry-mia-mcpherson-8992-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mountain-bluebird-male-elderberry-mia-mcpherson-8992-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mountain-bluebird-male-elderberry-mia-mcpherson-8992-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/mountain-bluebird-male-elderberry-mia-mcpherson-8992-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":70081,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/05\/18\/focusing-house-wrens\/","url_meta":{"origin":69228,"position":5},"title":"Focusing On Northern House Wrens","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 18, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"To photograph Northern House Wrens and other birds I know I need to find them which means focusing my attention on the sights and sounds around me whenever I am out in the field which has worked extremely well for me.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Northern House Wren peeking out of its nest, Targhee National Forest, Clark County, Idaho","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/house-wren-nesting-cavity-mia-mcpherson-1981.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/house-wren-nesting-cavity-mia-mcpherson-1981.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/house-wren-nesting-cavity-mia-mcpherson-1981.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/house-wren-nesting-cavity-mia-mcpherson-1981.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69228","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69228"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69228\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/145268"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69228"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69228"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69228"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}