Thanks, Liz! Hmm, does seem likely that they were going after something aquatic like mayflies. Nice shot of the Lewis’s–yes, those wings look large like maybe mayflies. When it’s winged ants swarming, you can usually see them flying up from the ground, and crawling on the ground after they’ve landed. Of course, winged termites provoke even more foraging fervor–mother nature’s Haagen-Dazs!
Daily Archives: June 25, 2023
Re: Swarming of alate ants?
Hi David,
I don’t know if this has any relevance, but Denise Hughes and I were birding north Gem County on Friday and mid-afternoon we stopped at the 3rd fork bridge north of Ola and witnessed Lewis Woodpeckers, American Dippers, Brewers Blackbirds, among others, actively flycatching above the creek. Never seen that before. It was something. Here is our checklist, and Denise got a great shot of the LEWO with a mouth full of winged somethings. I was thinking mayflies but maybe not.
Liz Medes
Swarming of alate ants?
Today, Sunday June 25th there was a massive mating flight of an ant species in the Payette River valley from at least Emmett downstream many miles. I’m curious if anyone observed anything similar in other areas, like around Boise/Eagle/Nampa/Caldwell or elsewhere, either today or recently. Many birds of many species were feeding on them on roads and shoulders, so if you saw something like this, along with fly-catching behavior in usually non-fly-catching spp, could have been this phenomenon. By the way, this happened first thing in the morning (usually does) and was over within a couple hours. Humid and/or post-rain conditions (and moderate temps) are usually involved in triggering such mating flights. I’m eager to hear of any similar observations–thanks!
Female Western Tanager
Just when I had mentioned in my previous thread that Western Tanager was mainly a spring migrant through my area, one proves me wrong. For 2nd day in a row, a female W Tanager has been working through backyard narrowleaf cottonwoods. Both working amongst the leaves & fly-catching from a branch. Checked most recent info I could find & listed as “probable breeder” for my latilong. Certainly, not ready to make claim of breeding—no evidence of such, but first time have seen one in summer at home location.
Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot