by Jim Oates We had good weather for the 30th Annual Ninepipe Count on December 18, with temperatures 27 to 33, calm winds, mostly cloudy skies, and morning flurries. Most still water was frozen. Twenty-five participants counted about 80 species (up a little) and about 12,000 birds (down a little). About 3,000 of those were mostly…
Read More
by Dan Casey Rare and Notables – Summer Hot conditions early in the period, and smoky conditions later may have contributed to a relatively lackluster migration period; many shorebird locations had dried up, and birders were perhaps staying at home a bit more! Nevertheless, some good finds included the season’s first Herring Gulls, Anna’s Hummingbirds,…
Read More
The 45th annual Bigfork Christmas Bird Count was held Saturday, December 15th, under cloudy skies, periodic “snow bands,” and strong SSE winds (10-17 mph) in the morning. The afternoon weather conditions were considerably better for birding, with good visibility and diminished winds. Snow depths were non-existent and/or limited to the eastern edges of the count…
Read Moreby Craig Hohenberger, compiler The 45th annual Bigfork Christmas Bird Count was held Saturday, December 15th, under cloudy skies, periodic “snow bands,” and strong SSE winds (10-17 mph) in the morning. The afternoon weather conditions were considerably better for birding, with good visibility and diminished winds. Snow depths were non-existent and/or limited to the eastern…
Read MoreA DOUBLE KEYSTONE SPECIES By Lisa Bate Have you ever heard what sounds like someone sending a Morse code message through the trees in spring? If so, go take a look and you will likely find that the Red-naped Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis) has returned to Montana for breeding season. Their drum sounds like Morse code…
Read More
By Mary Nelesen I have been watching daily for the return of the White-crowned Sparrows that frequent our yard each spring. They typically spend several days hopping and scratching on the ground below the bird feeders to expose insects and seeds to feed on before heading to higher elevations to breed. This handsome sparrow nests…
Read More
