The forest was a wonderful misture of Western Larch and Englemann’s Spruce with a few firs thrown in. The understory included blueberries, mountain ash and a number of wildflowers. The trail climbed through the forest with plenty of places to gaze out on the magnificient wildness in the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness Area. (G. Thomas Bancroft)

With first light on Saturday morning, I left the Diamond Peak trailhead toward Sheephead Corral.  Here in the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness the forest is a wonderful mixture of Western Larch and Engelmann Spruce with a scattering of firs.  It had rained the night before and the blueberry understory glistened with water droplets.  About a mile up the trail, the forest opened into a wide and long open bald filled with flowers.  The bald extended north over the top of the hill for a third of a mile and was at least a tenth of a mile wide.  I settled to study closely the abundant lupines, larkspurs, and groundsels that were blooming.

Blueberries glizzen in the soft light, highlighty waterdroplets from the recent rains. (G. Thomas Bancroft)

The early summer wildflowers were in full bloom in the open bald near Diamond Peak. Thick stands of larkspur and groundsel were blooming. The lupines were just starting to open. (G. Thomas Bancroft)

The Hairy Woodpecker surveyed from the top of a tree the surrounding area. She had a nest in a nearby tree and was not happy I was in the area. (G. Thomas Bancroft)

After a while, I realized that a Hairy Woodpecker was scolding loudly from a small group of trees to my west.  I was several hundred feet from the clump and should not have been bothering the woodpecker in the least but here in the wilderness maybe they are more sensitive.  I stood up to walk over to investigate.  As I moved closer the female woodpecker screamed loudly and flew from the top of one tree to another in this small clump.  The male called from the main forest another few hundred feet to the west.  Several large standing snags were in this clump and I searched quickly to see if I could spot a hole but never found one.  I had several excellent looks at the woodpecker.  A few times I heard the chattering of young in the nest calling loudly for more food!  After a few minutes I decided I should let them be and I moved out of the small clump of trees and back over the ridge out of their sight.

It was a great blessing to enjoy this wonderful wild moment in this spectacular wilderness.  I will remember this experience well into the future.

The Hairy Woodpecker took off to fly over me, screaming loudly that I was near her nest. (G. Thomas Bancroft)