by Craig Hohenberger The 50th annual Bigfork Christmas Bird Count was held Saturday, December 16th, under cloudy skies (fog & stratus) with calm conditions. Snow depths were variable, with most areas in the valley essentially snow free. At the eastern edge of the count circle, snow depths ranged from zero to six inches. Temperatures ranged…
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Flathead Valley Bird Report – January 2024
by Dan Casey Rare and Notables – November/December 2023 Winter was slow to arrive, and our avifauna did not change much from the previous month. Scoters continued at Foy’s Lake; all three of our largest falcon species made appearances. Steller’s Jays, Pine Grosbeaks and Common Redpolls were widespread, but Bohemian Waxwing numbers did not build…
Read MoreEureka CBC 2021 Results
The 29th annual Eureka Christmas bird count was held on Saturday December 18 on a snowy day that ranged from 17°F to 27°F. Koocanusa Reservoir was unfrozen as were the streams but smaller lakes and ponds were completely frozen. Sixteen people went to the field and 15 feeders were counted as well. We recorded 55…
Read MoreConservation Educator’s Niche – December 2019
The Meta-Threat by Dennis Olson In the last Pileated Post, FAS Board member Carole Jorgensen and Post Editor Lewis Young wrote two wonderful short summaries of two separate “meta-studies” – regarding the 29% decline in North American bird populations in the last 50 years, and, respectively, an Audubon study outlining the 64% of North American…
Read MoreKalispell CBC 2016 Report
by 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…
Read MoreField Trip Report: Lost Trail NWR
By Margaret Parodi. Seventeen people participated in the Flathead Audubon field trip to the Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge (northwest of Marion) on June 19. Participants met at the refuge headquarters at 8:30 am. The day was cool, breezy, and sunny, with morning temperature in the lower 50’s, later reaching a high of 65 degrees. The…
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