Rare and Notables – December 2023/January 2024 As mild as it seemed going into the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) season, it certainly changed in early January! Pine Grosbeaks continued to show up throughout the area, but Bohemian Waxwings were present in much smaller numbers than usual. Rough-legged Hawk numbers were also surprisingly low. Common Loons…
Read MoreCategory: Birding
How to catch that bird… in your binoculars
Flathead Valley Bird Report – January 2024
by Dan Casey Rare and Notables – November/December 2023 Winter was slow to arrive, and our avifauna did not change much from the previous month. Scoters continued at Foy’s Lake; all three of our largest falcon species made appearances. Steller’s Jays, Pine Grosbeaks and Common Redpolls were widespread, but Bohemian Waxwing numbers did not build…
Read MoreA Successful Raptor Quest
by Darcy Thomas The first day of November brought overcast skies to the Flathead Valley making the 30 degree outside temperature feel even colder. But that was not daunting enough to stop 11 birders intent on looking for raptors around Creston. And we were well rewarded. The first bird seen was a Sharp-shinned Hawk flying…
Read MoreSixteenth Jewel Basin Hawk Watch Season Wrap-Up
by Dan Casey, JBHW Coordinator The 2023 migration season at the Jewel Basin Hawk Watch concluded on November 1, when Jake Bramante counted 26 birds during our 47th survey of the season. We finished the season with a total of 3,131 birds counted (10.5/hr) our fourth highest. It was also a season of diversity; we…
Read MoreOctober 2023 Big Day a Resounding Success
by Dan Casey via Team EBird People in 191 countries joined together to celebrate birds on October 14th, 2023, during the “October Big Day” sponsored by Cornell’s eBird program. More than 36,000 people contributed 83,735 checklists for the single biggest day in October birding history. The 7,525 species reported was a 72-species increase over the…
Read More2023 Kalispell Christmas Bird Count (CBC)
by Shannon Donaldson The 25th annual Kalispell CBC will take place on New Year’s Eve, Sunday, December 31. The Kalispell count area is a large circle, 15 miles in diameter, centered at the junction of Highway 93 and West Reserve Drive by Home Depot. From Happy Valley to the north and Herron Park to the south,…
Read MoreThe 49th Bigfork Christmas Bird Count (CBC)
I am assuming all regional (local) leaders will be doing the Bigfork CBC once again. If you were a regional (local) leader last year, and are not participating in the Bigfork CBC this year, please let me know. I will be sending out the Bigfork CBC packets with bird checklists and maps of your respective…
Read MoreFlathead Valley Bird Report – December 2023
by Dan Casey Rare and Notables – October/November 2023 This period presented several of the less common species we have come to expect in late fall, including all three scoter species, Short-billed Gulls, and a Swamp Sparrow. Pacific Loons were seen in several locations, including two at Rogers Lake. Common Redpoll, Snow Bunting and Bohemian…
Read MoreNorthern Saw-whet Owls – October 2023 Field Trip Recap
by Darcy Thomas Northern Saw-whet Owls were the focus of the next two bird outings in October. We travelled to the Flathead Lake Biological Station to learn about owl ecology and watch researchers from the Owl Research Institute band, weigh, and measure owls they caught in mist nests during the evening. Participants got to watch…
Read More