Upper Swan Valley CBC 2023 Results

by Taylor Tewksbury Swan Valley Connections (SVC) hosted the Upper Swan Valley Christmas Bird Count on Wednesday, December 20. Weather conditions were constant throughout the day with cloudy skies, calm wind conditions, and the occasional light rain shower. Temperatures remained in the mid-to high thirties. Most waterways in the valley were partially frozen and a…

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A Successful Raptor Quest

by Darcy Thomas The first day of November brought overcast skies to the Flathead Valley making the 30 degree outside temperature feel even colder. But that was not daunting enough to stop 11 birders intent on looking for raptors around Creston. And we were well rewarded. The first bird seen was a Sharp-shinned Hawk flying…

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Jewel Basin Hawk Watch Mid-Season Update 2023

by Dan Casey With another 21 surveys conducted since the last update in the Pileated Post, the 16th season of raptor surveys in the Jewel Basin has continued to result in above-average numbers for many species. We had tallied 2,586 raptors of 17 species as of October 15th. These included record numbers of Broad-winged Hawks,…

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Flathead Valley Bird Report – November 2023

by Dan Casey Rare and Notables –  September/October 2023 It was an excellent month for migration, with record numbers of Broad-winged Hawks at the Jewel Basin Hawk Watch, and an influx of gulls (including Lesser Black-backed and Short-billed). A small group of Greater White-fronted Geese in Somers was followed by two which spent several days…

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Jewel Basin Hawk Watch 2023 Early Results

by Dan Casey The 16th fall monitoring season at Jewel Basin Hawk Watch (JBHW) kicked off August 25th, and as of September 15th we had conducted 18 surveys. It has been an interesting and rewarding early season, with high species diversity and higher than average counts. We suspect that the extensive fires in British Columbia…

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Mission Raptors Field Trip Summary 3-3-23

by Darcy Thomas On a blustery winter day in March with dark, turbulent clouds and crepuscular rays brightening the countryside, eight delighted birders joined Margaret and I on a tour of the Mission Valley in a quest to view birds of prey. We saw many wonderful birds including Merlin and American Kestrel, Red-tailed and Rough-legged…

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