by Don Jones, compiler The Troy Christmas Bird count was scheduled to be on December 30th 2017 but was postponed one day (the 31st) as the Troy area experienced a large snowstorm dumping 14+ inches of snow. Due to the change in count dates, we lost a number of participants due to conflicts. We still managed to…
Read MoreGlacier National Park CBC 2017 Report
by Lisa Bate, compiler This winter, Glacier National Park (GNP) held its annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC) on Sunday, December 17. Twenty-nine participants contributed to this event by covering 10 different routes in Glacier, and one bird feeder in West Glacier. Participants spent the day counting all bird species and individuals detected; and the main description…
Read MoreEureka CBC 2017 Report
by Lewis Young, compiler The 25th annual Eureka Christmas Bird Count was held on Saturday, December 16 in mild weather that ranged from 22F to 35F. Twenty-two field observers and 15 feeder watchers recorded 69 species and 2779 individual birds. The 69 species were the second highest total in our history. Three new species were…
Read MoreBigfork CBC 2017 Report
by Craig Hohenberger, compiler The 44th annual Bigfork Christmas Bird Count was held Saturday, December 16th, under cloudy skies and mild weather conditions; snow depth 1-4 inches, temperatures ranged from 28-34 degrees F with little or no wind. Rivers and lakes were mostly open and there was a little ice on Flathead Lake at the edges….
Read MoreShort-eared Owl Monitoring – Volunteers Needed
The Owl Research Institute is embarking on a 3-year collaborative study to monitor Short-eared Owl populations in the western U.S. The study will rely on volunteers to make it a success. Project WAFLS (Western Asio flammeus Landscape Study), involves 15 other agencies and organizations across 8 states and is designed to assess the population status,…
Read MoreConservation Educator’s Niche – February 2018
by Denny Olson We are about to transition into the traditional winter-spring conservation education schedule – Great Backyard Bird Count with at least two different schools, FVCC Senior Institute Birds of NW Montana for six weeks, four weeks of the Beauty of Birds class for the general public at Flathead High School (Wednesday evenings), Earth…
Read MoreMarilyn Wood Receives Conservation Achievement Recognition
by Ben Long Bigfork biologist Marilyn Wood has left a positive mark on Montana’s natural landscape that will benefit people, water and wildlife for decades to come. Ironically, that was never her intention. “I kind of fell into conservation,” she said, recalling her undergraduate studies at Montana State University in the mid 1970s. “I took…
Read MoreFireSafe Flathead
by Ali Ulwelling Rick Trembath’s presentation at last month’s general meeting blended his interest in wildfires and birds, so we’d like to follow up with more information about a local FireSafe Flathead group and tips on how to prepare for our next inevitable wildfire season. Our Flathead area is covered in forests that have evolved…
Read MoreEducation Committee News – February 2018
by Gail Shay Linne, Education Chair The Education Committee designed the ‘Adopt-a-School’ program during our January meeting. The program’s intent is to increase teachers’ access to the educational trunks so that students have the opportunity to learn about birds, conservation and local habitat. We hope Flathead Audubon members will adopt a school. Involvement can be…
Read MoreFebruary 2018 Chirps and Squawks
Highlights from January 2, 2018 Board Meeting Because FAS made only about $4,000 from the 2018 calendar sales we will not produce another phenology calendar next year. FAS plans to apply for inclusion in the Great Fish Challenge sponsored by the Whitefish Community Foundation. No Birdathon is planned for this year because FAS is hosting…
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