by Shannon and Bridger Donaldson The 25th Annual Kalispell Christmas Bird Count took place on Sunday, December 31, 2023. It was New Year’s Eve and most everything on the valley floor was cloaked in an amazing amount of hoar frost. Very low visibility was the theme for the day, as it was incredibly foggy, especially…
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Flathead Valley Bird Report – April 2023
Flathead Valley Bird Report by Dan Casey Rare and Notables – FEB/MAR 2023 In many past years, Tree and Violet-green Swallows would already be circling Somers in small numbers as I write this (3/16). But not this year, as winter has been slow to lose its grip. Nevertheless, waterfowl numbers increased predictably during the period,…
Read MoreThe Extraordinary “Ordinary” Mallard
by Linda de Kort It seems like yesterday, when our grandkids were still toddlers that we stood on the bridge overlooking the Whitefish River. It was a bright fall day and the flock of ducks that had gathered on the south side of the bridge fascinated the youngsters. The males were in their fresh breeding…
Read MoreFlathead Audubon Fly-by
by Jake Bramante Did you forget about the Christmas Bird Counts? Were you disappointed to find out about a last minute field trip that was changed? Do you want to know what’s happening throughout the summer? Enter the “Flathead Audubon Fly-by”! This is Flathead Audubon’s once-ish a month quick newsletter briefly reminding you of upcoming…
Read MoreFreezout Lake Field Trip
by Cory Davis Duck, Duck, Goose! And goose, and goose, and goose. The annual FAS migration to Freezout Lake, south of Choteau, occurred March 25-26 and included anywhere from 8-17 participants depending on when you checked in with us. Those from the Flathead Valley headed out from Kalispell Saturday morning and enjoyed a thorough day…
Read MoreHelp Preserve Flathead Crane Staging Area
Flathead Land Trust is working to conserve a 400-acre portion of the Sandhill Crane staging area in West Valley. Laura Katzman of the Land Trust reported on this project at our October meeting. Here is a short summary for those who missed her presentation. Large numbers of Sandhill Cranes, at times more than 400 birds, gather…
Read MoreNorthern Pintail
By Ben Long All wild ducks are beautiful but for my money, the most beautiful is the Northern Pintail. They have a combination of aerial grace, striking plumage, heft and old-fashioned class. They are ducks with elan. There are some 35 species of ducks in North America, many of which find their way to the…
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