Finches with Eye Disease are in the Flathead – What You Should Do

By Jake BramanteJanuary 8, 2020January 6, 2020 Conservation House Finch

by Linda Winnie At the December FAS meeting, several people reported seeing House Finches with infected eyes at their feeders – partially or fully closed, red, swollen, or crusty. Most likely these birds were suffering from avian conjunctivitis, a bacterial infection that can affect any songbird, but occurs frequently in finches. If you see a…

Ninepipes CBC 2016 Report

By Jake BramanteFebruary 23, 2017February 20, 2017 News American Crow, American Dipper, American Goldfinch, American Kestrel, American Robin, American Wigeon, Bald Eagle, Belted Kingfisher, Black-billed Magpie, Black-capped Chickadee, Bohemian Waxwing, Bufflehead, Canada Goose, Cedar Waxwing, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Common Raven, Dark-eyed Junco, Downy Woodpecker, European Starling, Gray Partridge, Great Blue Heron, Hooded Merganser, House Finch, House Sparrow

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…

House Finch

By Flathead AudubonJuly 10, 2014November 14, 2015 Bird of the Month American Goldfinch, Bird of the Month, House Finch

By Jeannie Marcure House Finches are among the most reliable and frequent visitors to feeders in the Flathead Valley. At our home south of Kalispell, 30 to 40 of these cheery, sparrow-sized birds spend most of the day perching in the top of a larch tree near the house and making frequent visits to the…

Red Crossbill

By Flathead AudubonJuly 10, 2014November 3, 2015 Bird of the Month Bird of the Month, House Finch, Red Crossbill

By Jeannie Marcure One of the many things I love about bird watching is the continual opportunity to learn new and surprising things—even about some of the most regular visitors to my feeders. One of these opportunities (I call them AH-HAH MOMENTS!) occurred last May when I began to notice an unusual bird at my…

Cassin’s Finch

By Flathead AudubonJuly 8, 2014November 3, 2015 Bird of the Month Bird of the Month, Cassin’s Finch, House Finch

By Jeannie Marcure Did you know that a group of finches can be called a charm, a company or a trembling? Personally, I like to refer to the group that frequents our feeders as a company, since their large, invasive flocks remind me of a military company or at times even a battalion! The various…