Idaho
Burrowing owlets are starting to emerge in eastern Idaho – East Idaho News
As I pulled onto a series of badger holes, a female burrowing owl popped out of one of the burrows and began cussing me. Her significant other quickly flew in as an owlet joined the couple on the edge of the burrow.
Soon, the male flew off to do some hunting, two more owlets emerged from the hole, sprinted to mom and cuddled up to her. One of them appeared to have recently hatched and stayed close to mom while the other two owlets did some exploring. They would go down the burrow and then come back out to chase a beetle or another insect.
When a swainson’s hawk flew high overhead, the female and all three owlets dove down the burrow. After about half an hour, the male returned to the burrow and was soon joined by the female and one of the owlets. The owlets again rushed to see the female when the male left again, almost knocking her over. Once again, the smallest owlet always stayed close to the female.
After watching them for almost two hours, I drove to two other burrows where I saw pairs preparing to make a home two months ago. It appeared that the females were still sitting on eggs or the owlets were not old enough to come out of the burrows because the males were standing guard near the entrance holes.
If you know where burrowing owls are nesting, now is the time to watch them closely. The owlets are very playful and interesting to watch as they develop their hunting skills. These small owls are the only birds to nest underground, and the female incubates the eggs while the male supplies her with food and protection. While sitting on the eggs, the female will develop a “brood patch,” where there are no feathers on part of her belly so the eggs can stay warm by direct contact with her skin. Females can hatch up to nine eggs.
About 80% of their food is insects and the adults will decorate the burrow by picking up animal dung to attract insects and make a quick meal for the nest. The male may capture small animals to feed the family as it grows, but the owlets quickly learn to catch beetles and grasshoppers for themselves.
I will continue to watch these nest areas and be entertained by the growing youngsters. Hopefully, a badger will not find them before they learn to fly.
It is now time to put most of your bird feeders away, except for hummingbird feeders. Most birds have an abundance of food naturally and if we continue to feed sunflower and other seeds, we create “lazy” birds that lose their ability to find their own food. This spring, I had a group of male red-winged blackbirds become dependent on my seed feeders until I emptied them and left them hanging. They finally left after cleaning up all the seeds they had wasted on the ground.
Hummingbird feeders should be filled with sugar-water, mixed about three parts water to one part sugar. Red dyes are not necessary to add to the mix – they will find the feeders with the sweet offering.
Good luck and enjoy the great outdoors safely during the summer.
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The results are in for the Idaho Lottery’s draw games on Monday, April 20, 2026.
Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on April 20.
Winning Powerball numbers from April 20 drawing
09-17-36-47-64, Powerball: 26, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 20 drawing
Day: 9-5-5
Night: 1-3-9
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 20 drawing
Day: 9-3-4-7
Night: 6-9-2-8
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from April 20 drawing
05-07-31-41-43, Star Ball: 07, ASB: 02
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Idaho Cash numbers from April 20 drawing
05-12-27-33-45
Check Idaho Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 20 drawing
19-37-40-41-53, Bonus: 02
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Idaho Lottery drawings held ?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: 1:59 p.m. (Day) and 7:59 p.m. (Night) MT daily.
- Pick 4: 1:59 p.m. (Day) and 7:59 p.m. (Night) MT daily.
- Lucky For Life: 8:35 p.m. MT Monday and Thursday.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- 5 Star Draw: 8 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Idaho Cash: 8 p.m. MT daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.
I remember watching a documentary about Idaho’s wildlands. A narrator said there were probably many parts of the state where no human being has ever set foot. I believe that, but I stay relatively close to the highways. If I were 30 years younger, I would probably enjoy exploring the back country, but today, unless a plane takes me in and out, it’s not happening. I can’t say definitively that there is one spot that I find better than others. We’re surrounded by beautiful terrain, however. One place keeps calling me back.
Like a Scene from a Legendary Movie
When I go over the mountain between Gooding and Fairfield, I take time to stop at the overlook above the Camas Prairie. It reminds me of a scene in Exodus, where the Paul Newman character takes an American woman to look across a flat plain leading to Mount Tabor. He explains that’s the site where Deborah gathered her armies. It makes me feel there is something godly about the Camas Prairie. I keep going back to this spot. Sometimes I take along a folding chair and sit and look at the world below.
Slow Down and See the Work of the Creator
Fairfield may be nothing more than a blip as people speed down Route 20, but it’s their loss. On the other side of the highway is some of the prettiest country in Idaho. It’s going to be a lot less lush this spring, but drought conditions haven’t been nearly as severe in the central highlands. But if I’m granted a few more years by the Almighty, I plan to see the prairie for many more springs.
‘Miserable’: McCall 4th of July Getaway Gets Roasted
What was once a great little summer escape has become a total headache according to the internet
Gallery Credit: Mateo, 103.5 KISS FM
The results are in for the Idaho Lottery’s draw games on Sunday, April 19, 2026.
Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on April 19.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 19 drawing
Day: 9-5-1
Night: 8-0-6
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 19 drawing
Day: 2-7-0-3
Night: 4-3-3-3
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Idaho Cash numbers from April 19 drawing
15-28-31-38-45
Check Idaho Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 19 drawing
32-42-52-53-55, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Idaho Lottery drawings held ?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: 1:59 p.m. (Day) and 7:59 p.m. (Night) MT daily.
- Pick 4: 1:59 p.m. (Day) and 7:59 p.m. (Night) MT daily.
- Lucky For Life: 8:35 p.m. MT Monday and Thursday.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- 5 Star Draw: 8 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Idaho Cash: 8 p.m. MT daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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