By Jess Garby
Happy March, Audubon family! I hope you’ve all been enjoying the bright blue-sky days, regardless of the cold. I know I have. It’s a very special month, where the Great-horned Owls perched outside my window hoot me to sleep most nights; the Red-winged Blackbirds at my feeder have begun to sing; and American Goldfinches fill my days with their subtle sunshine colors.
I have fully immersed myself in the education world here in the Flathead Valley. Recently I visited the Creston School, a new school for Flathead Audubon Education. I was so impressed with the enthusiasm shown by the kindergarteners, first graders and second graders I spoke to there. One first grader had a particular interest in birds, eagerly raising his hand to answer every question I had. He told me his favorite bird is a Swainson’s Hawk. At his age, I didn’t even know different species of hawks existed! Since my presentation the teachers tell me their students have been imitating bird calls and songs. This class truly inspired me and gave me hope for the future of birds and bird conservation. I also spent multiple days educating 7th graders at West Valley School. Again, I was astonished by how much bird knowledge the students had!
I’m looking forward to teaching the “Intro to Birds of NW Montana” class at Flathead Valley Community College Senior Institute. The class will meet once a week for 6 weeks, beginning in February. I wonder if the students will impress me as much as the K-12 students!
On a personal note, I want to share a few things that made February so special. I was happy to see the success of FAS’s first board game night, with 18 people in attendance playing Wingspan (see page X for more on that). Another highlight occurred while birding on Superb Owl Day (a fun play on Superbowl) with Jake, Cindy, and Tom. We were blessed with a singular call note from a Varied Thrush. In true Jess fashion, I squealed “VARIED THRUSH” instead of following proper birding etiquette and staying quiet to try and find the singing bird. I also spent many February evenings watercoloring birds I observed during the month; adding American Dipper, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Belted Kingfisher, and Northern-saw Whet Owl to my collection.