Ninepipes CBC 2022 Results

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…

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Flathead Valley Bird Report – February 2023

Rare and Notables – DEC 2022/JAN 2023 Mid-December through mid-January was a period with mostly gray skies, periodic snows, and one period of deep cold. As the snow and lakes iced over, raptor numbers declined, but several species of owls were among the notables. “Winter finches” were scarce, with few reports of redpolls, Pine Grosbeaks…

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Flathead Valley Bird Report – March 2022

by Dan Casey Rare and Notables – Jan/Feb At least two Snowy Owls persisted in the Lower Valley northeast of Somers throughout the period and were enjoyed by many local and visiting birders. Seasonally uncommon to rare, a White-throated Sparrow and a Brown-headed Cowbird continued at feeders in Whitefish and Creston, respectively. Migrant waterfowl numbers…

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Flathead Valley Bird Report – January 2022

by Dan Casey  Rare and Notables – Nov/Dec An out-of-season Brown-headed Cowbird and a regionally rare Lesser Goldfinch continued to sporadically visit feeders in Creston and Somers, respectively, throughout the period. Foy’s Lake and the West Valley Crane Viewing Area each supported a variety of waterfowl as warmer temperatures kept these sites primary ice-free. A…

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Flathead Valley Bird Report – February 2020

by Joshua Covill Rare and Notables – January 2020 12/24 – the NORTHERN CARDINAL in Marion was seen again at the same private residence that it was initially reported from, meaning it was been around for 1.5 months (Criag H. & Raylene W.) 12/29 – Prairie Falcon along Fairview Cemetery Rd south of Columbia Falls…

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Yellow-headed Blackbird

By Ellen Horowitz Few birds have names descriptive of their appearance, but the Yellow-headed Blackbird is one that wears its name boldly. Acquaintance with yellow-heads, as they are commonly called, provides a visual treat, an audio surprise and an introduction to the world of the marsh. Yellow-headed Blackbirds breed throughout western North America, from British…

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Bigfork Christmas Bird Count 2018 Results

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…

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Bigfork CBC 2018 Report

by 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…

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Bigfork CBC 2017 Report

by Craig Hohenberger, compiler The 44th annual Bigfork Christmas Bird Count was held Saturday, December 16th, under cloudy skies and mild weather conditions; snow depth 1-4 inches, temperatures ranged from 28-34 degrees F with little or no wind. Rivers and lakes were mostly open and there was a little ice on Flathead Lake at the edges….

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