by Rosemary McKinnon and Linda Winnie Linda de Kort was presented Flathead Audubon’s Lifetime Conservation Achievement Recognition at the March 9 FAS meeting. Linda is an extraordinary science educator who has instilled in thousands of students and adults in this Valley, and far beyond, an understanding and appreciation of the natural world, and inspired in many…
Read MoreDrive Protection of Bird Habitat with your Purchasing Power
by Kathy Ross Did you know that the products you buy affect more than just your household and health? Your choice of materials and the practices of manufacturers and growers impact birds, animals, plants, water, and the air we all share. Growing methods, like growing coffee and cocoa in native plant shade, preserve natural forest…
Read MoreTreasurer Changes
by Joe Batts The role of the Treasurer has expanded over the last 5 years that I have served as FAS Treasurer. Duties that were once spread among other board members are now more consolidated under the Treasurer. In addition, as the organization grows, greater accountability and reporting is needed. The Treasurer has always maintained…
Read MoreHermit Thrush
Catharus guttatus by Gail Cleveland Northwest Montana is blessed with a number of species from the family of Turdidae or Thrushes. These include the Western and Mountain Bluebird, Townsend’s Solitaire, American Robin, Varied Thrush as well three species of the genus Catharus: the Swainson’s Thrush, Veery, and the subject of this article: the Hermit Thrush….
Read More2020 Freezout Lake and the Great Snow Geese Migration
There is nothing like Snow Geese and the Rocky Mountains at the same time and place. The place is Freezout Lake WMA near Choteau; the time is the annual Flathead Audubon Society field trip to Freezout. The Snow Geese are moving from their wintering grounds to their arctic nesting areas along with thousands of other…
Read MoreMarch 2020 Chirps and Squawks
Highlights from the February 3rd board meeting Tom and Cindy Roberts were voted onto the Board of Directors for a 1-year term. They also joined the Education Committee and will assume the role of Co-Chairs. Welcome! Jake Bramante presented info about the characteristics, benefits, and issues related to using Google for Nonprofits for communicating, storing…
Read MoreFlathead Valley Bird Report – March 2020
by Joshua Covill Rare and Notables – February 2020 01/20 – Rusty Blackbird feeding in the cow pasture on Fox Farm Road (Cory D.) 01/20 – Northern Saw-whet Owl heard tooting from private residence south of Col. Falls (Chris H.) 01/24 – Iceland Gull (Thayer’s subspecies) spotted at the Flathead Co Landfill (Zack S.) 01/30…
Read MoreMarch 2020 Program
My African Safari to Botswana and Victoria Fallsthat turned into a Birding Safari presented by Laura Katzman Guest speaker Laura Katzman will share her African experience traveling to the Okavango Delta in Botswana and the Victoria Falls area of Zimbabwe at the Monday, March 9 Flathead Audubon meeting from 7-9 PM at the Gateway West…
Read MoreConservation Educator’s Niche – February 2020
by Denny Olson I decided not to wax philosophical this month, and instead, give you a report on the day-to-day of my Conservation Educator’s life, and what is planned for the near future. After the December Bigfork (with Bridger Donaldson) and Kalispell (with Tom and Cindy Roberts and Mary Auxier) Christmas Bird Counts, and a…
Read MoreAnyone Can Become A Birder
by Will Beyer How a person becomes interested enough to want to recognize each bird species by sight or sound and then make this a hobby is anybody’s guess. For me this happened years ago while working a summer job irrigating and cutting hay on a ranch in Central Montana. Never having spent so much…
Read More