From blog reader Malorie:

"I have been reading your blog for a while now, and I came across something today in which I thought you might be interested. There are a series of caves in Kuna, Idaho called Kuna Caves (not very creative name, I know), and I went to explore there today.

At the end of my traipse (and sometimes crawl/clamber) I discovered something that I was really not expecting to see--a nestling in a nest made primarily of bits of firework. Instead of sticking with my assumption that it must be a phoenix as it is born of fire, I decided to contact the Snake River Birds of Prey center, and I also thought to send you some pictures in the event that you would like to see pictures of a baby bird kicking it in a cave. If you know what it is by these not-so-great photographs, I would love to know as all I have guiding me is limited knowledge and conjecture."

Well, Malorie, nestlings are a challenging for most people. But this bird using the bottle rockets for nesting material is a rock pigeon (the pigeons you see in cities). Pigeons and doves are in the Ugly Baby Hall Of Fame and if you didn't know birds, that might be something you expect to find in a cave. Pigeons started out nesting on cliffs before they nested on buildings, so a cave kind of makes sense...although the bottle rockets do not. But I find it best not to question a pigeon.

Thanks for the fun photo and for sharing this interesting find! I love the comparison to a phoenix!