by Lisa Bate Glacier National Park (GNP) held its annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC) on Sunday, December 16, 2018. Thirty participants contributed to this event by covering 10 different routes in Glacier and 1 bird feeder in West Glacier. Participants spent the day counting all bird species and individuals detected. The weather was unusually mild…
Read MoreTag: Red-breasted Nuthatch
Kalispell CBC 2017 Report
by Pete Fisher, compiler The 19th annual Kalispell CBC was held on Sunday, December 31. A total of 78 species were counted. This is a respectable number given the harsh weather conditions (subzero temperatures, up to 3 feet of snow). The count’s first ever Northern Shoveler was found as well as the second ever Common Grackle. Record high numbers…
Read MoreEureka CBC 2017 Report
by Lewis Young, compiler The 25th annual Eureka Christmas Bird Count was held on Saturday, December 16 in mild weather that ranged from 22F to 35F. Twenty-two field observers and 15 feeder watchers recorded 69 species and 2779 individual birds. The 69 species were the second highest total in our history. Three new species were…
Read MoreJanuary 2017 Chirps and Squawks
Highlights from December 2016 Board Meeting The December Board Meeting was cancelled due to the snowstorm but some business was conducted by email afterward. Voted to approve the minutes from the November Board Meeting. Agreed to send out an appeal letter for donations to the West Valley Wetlands Project. West Valley Naturalists Did you know…
Read MoreRed-breasted, White-breasted, & Pygmy Nuthatches
BIRDS WHO CAN REALLY GET A GRIP! By Jeannie Marcure As members of the bird family SITTIDAE, nuthatches are described by this Greek word as birds that peck at the bark of trees. Additionally, the name nuthatch originated in Europe and refers to the foraging technique in which the birds take a seed, fly to…
Read MoreRuby-crowned & Golden-crowned Kinglets
By Linda de Kort Last week, the serviceberry bushes by our home were buzzing with royal activity. Kinglets of both local species were flitting and hovering, gleaning the insects from the leaves of the bush. This gave me a golden and ruby opportunity to compare the field markings of these two diminutive birds. The kinglets…
Read More