by Joshua Covill Rare and Notables – November 2019 10/20 – Barred Owl photographed at Owen Sowerwine Natural Area (Jake B.) 10/25 – Surf Scoter in Somers Bay, Flathead Lake (Craig H.) 10/27 – 8 Greater White-fronted Geese on West Valley Ponds with Canada Geese flocks (Dan C.) 10/27 – Surf Scoter on Foy’s Lake…
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by Gael Bissell, President Gosh, it’s already that time of year where you receive innumerable end of year appeals from dozens of worthy non-profit organizations. It can be a struggle to decide if and how much to give and to which organization. What it comes down to for me, what motivates me, is seeing those…
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Christmas Bird Counts in the Flathead presented by Josh Covill It is December and thus the time for the annual Christmas Bird Count. This is the longest running citizen-science project in the world, and you are invited to participate! Veteran birder and counter Josh Covill will present an extraordinary program at the regular Flathead Audubon…
Read MoreIt’s that time of the year for the annual Christmas Bird Counts. This year marks the 120th year for this fun birding excursion. The results help us track birds and takes place all across the globe. Here in Northwestern Montana, we have a variety of counts that you can participate in. Whether you’re an experienced…
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By Franz Ingelfinger, Restoration EcologistMontana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Region 1 Ready for spring waterfowl? No, not yet? Well, when winter’s chill yields to the cool, gray days of March, grab your spotting scope, thermos and extra layer, and head down to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ (FWP) North Shore Wildlife Management Area (WMA). There…
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by Denny Olson Invasive plant species have been described as a slow-motion nuclear bomb going off. While this sounds like hyperbole, we have to remember that the this “bomb” can affect entire bioregions, and invasives can reduce tree cover, cause increased erosion and reduce water quality, increase fire risk, have noxious effects on humans and…
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National Audubon Society 2019 Climate Report by Lewis Young, Conservation Committee In 2014, National Audubon Society published a report documenting the effects of climate change on birds. This 2019 report revisits the same subject. It utilizes peer-reviewed data to look at the vulnerability of birds across North America to climate change based on a new,…
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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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a September 2019 publication in Science Magazine by Carole Jorgensen, Conservation Committee A paper was recently published in peer-reviewed Science magazine by experienced and reputable authors. Decline of the North American Avifauna by Rosenberg et al. 2019 is available on FAS website at: https://www.flatheadaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Rosenberg-et-al-Science-Sept-2019.pdf. The short four pages of text (plus many more pages of…
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