by Linda de Kort It seems like yesterday, when our grandkids were still toddlers that we stood on the bridge overlooking the Whitefish River. It was a bright fall day and the flock of ducks that had gathered on the south side of the bridge fascinated the youngsters. The males were in their fresh breeding…
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by Lewis Young The Yuma Myotis (Myotis yumanensis) is another of the small, mostly brown colored bats that are found in Montana. In fact, it is so similar in looks to the more common Little Brown Bat that these 2 species are very difficult to tell apart in the hand. More about that later. The…
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Catharus guttatus by Gail Cleveland Northwest Montana is blessed with a number of species from the family of Turdidae or Thrushes. These include the Western and Mountain Bluebird, Townsend’s Solitaire, American Robin, Varied Thrush as well three species of the genus Catharus: the Swainson’s Thrush, Veery, and the subject of this article: the Hermit Thrush….
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Now we see them, now we don’t by Linda De Kort Every December, on specific days, members of local Audubon Chapters gather in small groups to observe and record the numbers of birds seen and heard within a defined 15-mile radius circle. This information has been gathered and recorded for over a hundred years nationwide…
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by Denny Olson Most of our first experiences with Turkey Vultures are spotting them in flight. They are often in groups, a “venue” of birds, not necessarily related to each other, but gathering because the warm thermals of air are optimal there. Their flight is as effortless and beautiful as any bird’s can be. They…
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Hurrah for the Humble Hun by Ben Long There is an idea among birders of a “spark bird,” that is the species of bird that sparked a person’s greater interest in birds and, thus, the natural world. For me, the spark bird was a humble little buff-colored, pear-shaped partridge that we called a “hun,” but…
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By Ellen Horowitz Few birds have names descriptive of their appearance, but the Yellow-headed Blackbird is one that wears its name boldly. Acquaintance with yellow-heads, as they are commonly called, provides a visual treat, an audio surprise and an introduction to the world of the marsh. Yellow-headed Blackbirds breed throughout western North America, from British…
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by John Hughes Perched on a fence post, rock or exposed tree branch, in plain sight, is a good place to find a Say’s Phoebe when in a locale where they are present. A medium-sized chunky flycatcher, the Say’s Phoebe (Sayornis saya) is named for Thomas Say an early American Naturalist. The bird was first…
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