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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by Brian Williams The Ninepipes Christmas Bird Count was held on Sunday, 18 December 2016. Sixteen observers braved the single-digit weather and treacherous roads to count birds. The deep cold made open water scarce and held our total species down a bit from 5 and 10 year averages, but we found some excellent birds. Short-eared…
Read Moreby Pete Fisher The 18th annual Kalispell Christmas Bird Count (CBC) was held on January 1, 2017. Twenty-eight intrepid field observers braved wind and drifting snow to count 75 species of bird. Four feeder watchers contributed data as well. Major highlights were an Iceland Gull at the Flathead Dump and a Northern Saw-whet Owl at…
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By Gail Cleveland The acrobatic aerial display of two jet black birds soaring, wheeling and tumbling with wingtips touching — inverted commas in the sky. This spring scene is the mating display of the Common Raven,the largest of the passerines (perching birds) that has “become the most widely naturally disturbed bird in the world, inhabiting…
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By Denise Hester “WOW! What is that bird?” These are often the words of amazement uttered by a first-time-from-back-east visitor to the Flathead Valley when they first see a Black-billed Magpie. While it is a large eye-catching black and white bird ( 17 1/2 -22″/44-56 cm) with a dark bill, head, breast, and under parts,…
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By Dennis Hester Who has not seen a Crow? If a person can identify only a few birds, one of them no doubt will be the Crow. It is well known because it is large, black, ubiquitous and noisy. In fact, the American Crow probably ranks with Turdus migratorus and Sturnus vulgaris (American Robin and…
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