The 2022 migration season at the Jewel Basin Hawk Watch concluded 20 October, as a dramatic shift in the weather dropped enough snow to make safe access to the site no longer possible. A season characterized by sunny skies and consistent coverage led to above average numbers across almost all species, but record numbers for…
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by Dan Casey Rare and Notables – Oct/Nov 2022 Well, the unseasonably warm weather came to a rather abrupt halt in mid-October. By mid-November, the Sandhill Cranes had left, Tundra Swans and Snow Geese were passing through, and Rough-legged Hawks were here in good numbers. White-winged and Surf Scoters graced Foy’s Lake and scattered individual…
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presented by Erick Greene Erick Greene is Professor Emeritus in the Division of Biological Sciences and in the Wildlife Biology Program at The University of Montana. He grew up in Quebec, Canada, with twin passions for music and nature. Erick dropped out of high school and lived for a year in the Galapagos Islands, working…
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At our November 2022 General Meeting, our Conservation Educator, Denny Olson shared his history, our approach to education, and our exciting vision moving forward to get kids outside and in touch with the wonderful outdoor classroom we have in them Flathead Valley. Click on the video below to watch the presentation. Thanks again Denny for…
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On November 9, the Flathead Land Trust, with its partners Flathead Lakers and Flathead Audubon Society, hosted the “Flathead River in Paint” auction event at Montana Modern Fine Art on Main Street in Kalispell. The event featured outstanding original “plein air” paintings by 14 local artists of iconic river, farm, and wetland landscapes of the…
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As bright beams illuminate the New York City skies above the National 9/11 Museum & Memorial’s Tribute in Light, thousands of migratory birds circle and call, disoriented by the lights. As the swirl intensifies, Cornell Lab of Ornithology scientist Andrew Farnsworth gives the signal, the lights turn off, and the birds disperse into the night….
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by Denny Olson Owen Sowerwine Our Local Outdoor Classroom A couple of days ago, I led a small group of three on a field trip to Owen Sowerwine, that roughly 442-acre parcel of State School Trust land located along the Stillwater and Flathead Rivers just east of Willow Glen near Kalispell. The trip emphasized the…
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Rocky Mountain Wild has developed a new Pika Patrol mobile app.This new app will help the community and scientists alike to track observations and monitor populations of the climate-sensitive American pika. By making it easier for hikers, community members, and visitors to record pika observations, we can gather even more data on this charismatic mountain…
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by Darcy Thomas A small group of four birders spent a lovely Indian Summer Day at the Bison Range. Our bird count was not large (23 taxa) but was varied as we saw both resident birds and migrators. The list included Red Crossbills, Evening Grosbeak, Townsend Solitaire, eagles, hawks, harriers, kestrel, kinglets, siskins, nuthatches, chickadees…
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by Darcy Thomas At dawn on September 29 a group of six early risers braved stormy skies to meet field trip leader Darcy Thomas to watch Sandhill Cranes as they lifted off the West Valley Ponds to forage and refuel in nearby agricultural fields before continuing their southward migration. There were close to 500 cranes…
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