By Dan Casey Rare and Notables – February/March 2024 In typical fashion, early March was a time for waterfowl migration to begin in earnest, with good numbers of Northern Pintails present by the end of the period, and multiple sightings of Eurasian Wigeon, Greater White-fronted and Snow Geese. First-of-year (FOY) arrivals included Varied Thrushes, Western…
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2024 Wings Across the Big Sky Birding Festival speaker announced
Montana Audubon, in partnership with Last Chance Audubon is pleased to announce Tiffany Kersten as the keynote speaker for the 2024 Wings Across the Big Sky Birding Festival! Birdie Big Year: Elevating Women Birders Tiffany Kersten didn’t set out to do a Big Year, but after a series of unanticipated and serendipitous events, she suddenly…
Read MoreFlathead Valley Bird Report – March 2024
Rare and Notables – January/February 2024 Generally mild and relatively dry since the deep cold spell early in the period, this was a month with few rarities. People continued to enjoy the widespread Pine Grosbeaks and sporadic flocks of Common Redpolls. Thousands of Canada Geese and Mallards could be found throughout, particularly along the lower…
Read MoreKalispell CBC 2023 Results
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…
Read MoreTroy CBC 2023 Results
Upper Swan Valley CBC 2023 Results
by Taylor Tewksbury Swan Valley Connections (SVC) hosted the Upper Swan Valley Christmas Bird Count on Wednesday, December 20. Weather conditions were constant throughout the day with cloudy skies, calm wind conditions, and the occasional light rain shower. Temperatures remained in the mid-to high thirties. Most waterways in the valley were partially frozen and a…
Read MoreNinepipes CBC 2023 Results
by James Oates The 31st Annual Ninepipe Christmas Bird Count was held December 17. With foggy conditions limiting visibility to 100 yards most of the day, it was no surprise to anybody that the number of birds at 6,912 were down about 39 percent and the number of species at 71 were down 20 percent from…
Read MoreGlacier CBC 2023 Results
by Lisa Bate, Wildlife Biologist, Glacier National Park Glacier National Park (GNP) held its annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC) on Sunday, December 17, 2023. Thirty participants contributed to this event by covering 10 different routes in Glacier and one bird feeder just outside the park, but within the circle. Participants spent the day counting all…
Read MoreEureka CBC 2023 Results
by Ellen Sullivan and Lauren Michelsen The 31st annual Eureka Christmas Bird Count was held on Saturday, December 16, on a mild day that ranged from 27 degrees to 33 degrees. Koocanusa Reservoir was open as were parts of the streams, but smaller lakes and ponds were mostly frozen. Eighteen people went to the field…
Read MoreBigfork CBC 2023 Results
by Craig Hohenberger The 50th annual Bigfork Christmas Bird Count was held Saturday, December 16th, under cloudy skies (fog & stratus) with calm conditions. Snow depths were variable, with most areas in the valley essentially snow free. At the eastern edge of the count circle, snow depths ranged from zero to six inches. Temperatures ranged…
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