By Dan Casey Selected Rare and Notables – May-August 2024 Spring migration did not provide many surprises, but as we moved into summer, some interesting trends developed. Yellow-breasted Chats, typically rare here, were reported from the south edge of the county, Somers, Creston, Columbia Falls and Glacier NP. Individual Common Grackles were reported regularly, and…
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by Darcy Thomas 15 enthusiastic birders met at Church Slough on March 21 for a wonderful morning of watching waterfowl of all sorts. After an hour at the slough we followed the river, hopped over to Forest Hill Road, and finished up by walking a portion of Sonny Boon Trail. The rain blessedly kept at…
Read Moreby Dan Casey Rare and Notables – MAR/APR 2023 Mid-March offered its usual diversity and abundance of waterfowl, with great numbers of geese and ducks throughout the valley (despite the late ice-out). Eurasian Wigeon were seen among the flocks at many sites around the valley, from March 17through April 11. A Eurasian Green-winged Teal at…
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by Dan Casey Rare and Notables – March 2021 2/19 – Gyrfalcon hunting large flocks of Mallards, N. Shore WMA (Dick W.) 2/24 – Snowy Owl in Lower Valley off Farm and Manning Roads through 2/24 (m. ob.) 3/03 – Mountain Bluebird (first of year) in Lower Valley (Craig H.) 3/06 – Western Bluebirds (first…
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by Pete Fisher The 22nd Kalispell Christmas Bird Count held on Sunday, January 3, 2021, recorded a total of 77 species, a number which is about average for this count. Highlights included the first ever Canvasback (small slough at southern end of Woodland Avenue) and first ever Short-eared Owl (hunting at dusk in West Valley…
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by Cory Davis Who doesn’t love to see that bright white head popping up on a mountain lake on a gray day? “There’s a bufflehead!” Always one of the easiest ducks to identify, even the females are distinctive with a conspicuous, white cheek patch. Appropriately for Montana, their name refers to the large buffalo-like shaped…
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