Rare and Notables – January/February 2024 Generally mild and relatively dry since the deep cold spell early in the period, this was a month with few rarities. People continued to enjoy the widespread Pine Grosbeaks and sporadic flocks of Common Redpolls. Thousands of Canada Geese and Mallards could be found throughout, particularly along the lower…
Read MoreTag: Common Loon
Flathead Valley Bird Report – February 2024
Rare and Notables – December 2023/January 2024 As mild as it seemed going into the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) season, it certainly changed in early January! Pine Grosbeaks continued to show up throughout the area, but Bohemian Waxwings were present in much smaller numbers than usual. Rough-legged Hawk numbers were also surprisingly low. Common Loons…
Read MoreJanuary 2024 Program – Avian Predators in Glacier National Park
Co-presented by Jami Belt and Jess Garby Glacier National Park (GNP) hosts a large diversity of birds, and few are as charismatic as two of our top level predators – the Common Loon and Golden Eagle. While these birds inhabit very different haunts, both come to GNP as summer breeding residents and exist in very…
Read MoreIntroducing Our New Operations Coordinator
by Darcy Thomas Please welcome Dee Baginski to our Audubon family. Dee, a graduate of Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania in Parks and Resource Management, and veteran Glacier National Park, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Glacier Institute, and US Forest Service employee, has accepted a contract to work part-time as an Operations Coordinator for Flathead…
Read MoreBirdathon 2023 – Birding for a “Caws”
by Shannon Donaldson On Saturday, June 17, Flathead Audubon Society hosted the Flathead Valley Birdathon. Twenty-six participants on nine teams spent the day birding for a “caws” – raising money for the conservation easement in the Owen Sowerwine area. Although the morning began with plenty of rain showers and low visibility, by about 9 a.m. it began…
Read MoreLoons and Lead – you can help!
Here in northwest Montana we are fortunate to have both a population of common loons and good fishing in many lakes that support loons. Unfortunately, the lead sinkers and jigs often used for fishing pose a significant threat to loons. Loons often swallow fishing tackle and lead is toxic to loons. One lead sinker can…
Read MoreMay 2023 Chirps and Squawks
Highlights from the April 3, 2023 Board of Directors Meeting Cash Rewards for Loon Sightings The Montana Loon Society and the Montana Common Loon Working Group (CLWG) are once again offering cash prizes for observations of banded loons or confirmed unbanded breeding loons. Two, $100 awards will be decided by a random drawing from all…
Read MoreKathy Ross Awarded Lifetime Conservation Achievement Recognition
by Darcy Thomas At times our childhood experiences make us who we are. That is certainly the case with Kathy Ross. “As a kid I roamed the forests of Missouri, sometimes with Grandfather, but mostly alone, exploring ponds for salamanders, frogs, and bugs, tracking small woodland beings around the forests, learning the names of all…
Read MoreGetting to Know Owen Sowerwine Natural Area – Part 2
by Dan Casey Important Bird Area Status Last month we began a series of articles describing the characteristics, history, and management status of the Owen Sowerwine Natural Area (OSNA). This month we examine its status as an “Important Bird Area”, a designation that carries with it no legal protection, but that recognizes the value of…
Read MoreConservation Educator’s Niche – April 2021
by Denny Olson Frustrated with Birding ID by Ear? Help is on the way! There are 270 nesting species of birds in Montana, and 435 species that we know have at least passed through on their travels. They all make some kinds of noises, and those noises are at least slightly different from each other,…
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