Flathead Valley Bird Report – May 2023

by 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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Surrounding NW Montana CBC 2022 Results

Upper Swan CBC December 15 Upper Swan held its annual Christmas Bird Count on Thursday, December 15, with nine field observers. We had decent weather with temperatures ranging from 19 to 27, cloudy skies, and wind at 7 mph.  Most still water was frozen and moving water was partly open. Snow depths ranged from six…

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Flathead Valley Bird Report – May 2022

by Dan Casey Rare and Notables – March-April Although mid-April snows reminded us that winter was not entirely over, winter resident bird species such as Snowy Owl and Bohemian Waxwing departed, and spring migrants (swallows, cranes, waterfowl, shorebirds and more) continued to arrive on schedule throughout the period. Snow Geese were seen throughout the valley,…

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Eureka CBC 2020 Results

by Ellen Sullivan and Lewis Young  The 28th annual Eureka Christmas bird count was held on Friday, December 18 in mild weather that ranged from 34°F to 40°F. The count this year was conducted with appropriate Covid-19 protocols which accounted for a reduced number of field going observers. Sixteen people went to the field and…

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Eureka CBC 2019 Results

by Lewis Young The 27th annual Eureka Christmas Bird Count was held on Saturday December 14 in moderate weather that ranged from 28°F to 32°F. Koocanusa Reservoir was unfrozen as were the streams but smaller lakes and ponds were frozen. Foggy weather in the morning confronted the 25 people that went to the field as…

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Conservation Educator’s Niche – December 2019

The Meta-Threat by Dennis Olson In the last Pileated Post, FAS Board member Carole Jorgensen and Post Editor Lewis Young wrote two wonderful short summaries of two separate “meta-studies” – regarding the 29% decline in North American bird populations in the last 50 years, and, respectively, an Audubon study outlining the 64% of North American…

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Eureka Christmas Bird Count 2018 Results

The 26th annual Eureka Christmas bird count was held on Saturday, December 15 in mild weather that ranged from 31˚F to 41˚F. A record 33 field observers and 16 feeder watchers recorded 61 species and 4953 individual birds. The 61 species tied the fifth highest total in our history and the number of individuals was…

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New species at Owen-Sowerwine

15 new species have been added to the bird list for Owen Sowerwine Natural Area! Twelve of the added species are the result of some detective work by our new Keeper of the OSNA List, Shawn Richmond. When Shawn took on this new job in November, she began digging into the ebird records for observation…

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