I missed wishing everyone a Happy New Year in January, but it is never too late. I hope all of you have a great 2026 and see amazing bird behavior. What was your first bird of the year? I get the weirdest birds for my first sighting every year. One year it was a starling. Another year it was a magpie. This year I saw a robin! One year I even closed my eyes until my husband drove us to a place I was certain to see a wonderful bird. Yet, when I opened my eyes, I saw a crow. All my friends see raptors, swans, and other really amazing birds. This is not to say starlings, magpies, crows, and robins are not amazing. It is just that they are common. I want to see an eagle, or maybe a rare bird! Next year, I will have my husband drive me to a birding hotspot before I open my
eyes. Keep your fingers crossed for me.
On another note, I would like to talk about conservation. Flathead Audubon is committed to conservation. Our mission is “to conserve birds, wildlife habitat, and ecosystem diversity through education and conservation programs, in northwest Montana.” With conservation being a primary objective, we desire to build the conservation program into a more vibrant effort that advocates for birds. With that in mind, we have a significant need for people who are passionate about conservation to join us in furthering this goal.
Come May 2026, we will no longer have a chairperson for our Conservation Committee. We absolutely must find someone who is willing, able, and excited to carry us forward. We have decided to reshape our Conservation Committee by defining new objectives and setting goals. This presents a great opportunity for an incoming chairperson to contribute new ideas.
If this speaks to you, WE NEED YOU! Please contact Gael Bissell (gael@flatheadaudubon.org) or Carole Jorgensen (carole@flatheadaudubon.org) to learn more and join our team.