By Jeannie Marcure “The chickadee is a symbol of faithfulness. It lives the year around in the same region. It never deceives its human friends, as so many birds do, by changing its coat and colors. In the summer, to be sure, it is not much seen. …. But with wintry blasts, time the others…
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By Jeannie Marcure Although my years of bird watching have familiarized me with many of the beautiful birds in our area, I have to confess that when it comes to raptors I’m still often frustrated by my inability to make positive identifications. Most people tend to think of all the day-flying birds of prey with…
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By Gail Cleveland Although the Wild Turkey was well known to American Indians and widely used as food, certain tribes considered these birds stupid and cowardly and did not eat them for fear of acquiring these characteristics. In early August, two Wild Turkey Moms and twelve chicks showed up in our backyard. At that time…
Read MoreBy Linda DeKort One of the most significant changes for birders in the 2004 supplement of the American Ornithologist Union checklist, according to Sibley, was the split of Canada Goose into two species. “The former broad Canada Goose species has been divided into a large-bodied, interior- and southern-breeding species, and a small-bodied tundra-breeding subspecies. The…
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By Jeannie Marcure For most of us, the month of December is filled with visions of sugar-plums and the other trappings that have come to be expected during the holiday season; but for bird lovers the premier event might just be Audubon’s annual Christmas Bird Count. This annual event offers opportunities for both expert and…
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By Karen Nichols & Ben Long Big, raucous and handsome, the pileated woodpecker is a favorite of hard-core birding enthusiasts and casual nature-lovers alike. The pileated woodpecker is the classic “Woody Woodpecker.” The word “pileated” refers to its bright red crest, its most distinguishing feature. The name may be pronounced either “PIE-leh-ated” or “PIL-eh-ated.” The…
Read MoreBy Jeannie Marcure Because most of their activities are nocturnal, owls are more often heard than seen and are often regarded as mysterious and secretive. There’s certainly something thrilling and primordial about hearing an owl call in the darkness of the forest. After spending almost two years at Walden Pond, Thoreau described that experience this…
Read MoreBy March Mahr The Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) is the largest waterfowl in North America and the largest swan in the world. Yet there’s more than their size to blow a horn about—Trumpeter Swans are making a comeback. Once abundant and widespread within a wide band extending from Alaska along the Pacific Coast to the…
Read MoreBy Linda DeKort If you ask when Yellow-rumped Warblers will be returning to our valley, Bruce Tannehill, from Flathead Audubon, will tell you immediately, “between April 25th and May 1st”. Bruce and his wife, Gail Cleveland, are avid birders who know their neighborhood birds intimately. Like the rest of us, they look forward to the…
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By Jeannie Marcure Since May is the month that many Montanans return to our beautiful lakes and steams for recreation, it seems appropriate that our featured bird this month is one seen almost exclusively on or near the water. My favorite form of water recreation involves paddling a small kayak with binoculars and camera close…
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