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 MoreTag: Merlin
Peeps from the President – February 2024
by Darcy Thomas After hearing that the Montana Land Board had approved the conservation easement for Owen Sowerwine, I told my husband to put his boots on as we needed to go walk among the trees and enjoy the music of bird song, as we reveled in the accomplishment that had been so many years…
Read MoreA Successful Raptor Quest
by Darcy Thomas The first day of November brought overcast skies to the Flathead Valley making the 30 degree outside temperature feel even colder. But that was not daunting enough to stop 11 birders intent on looking for raptors around Creston. And we were well rewarded. The first bird seen was a Sharp-shinned Hawk flying…
Read MoreJewel Basin Hawk Watch Mid-Season Update 2023
by Dan Casey With another 21 surveys conducted since the last update in the Pileated Post, the 16th season of raptor surveys in the Jewel Basin has continued to result in above-average numbers for many species. We had tallied 2,586 raptors of 17 species as of October 15th. These included record numbers of Broad-winged Hawks,…
Read MoreFlathead Valley Bird Report – November 2023
by Dan Casey Rare and Notables – September/October 2023 It was an excellent month for migration, with record numbers of Broad-winged Hawks at the Jewel Basin Hawk Watch, and an influx of gulls (including Lesser Black-backed and Short-billed). A small group of Greater White-fronted Geese in Somers was followed by two which spent several days…
Read MoreCornell Sets Date for October Big Day
by Dan Casey Mark your calendars for October Big Day — October 14, 2023! Like the Global Big Day in May, October Big Day is an opportunity to unite around our shared love of birds. Last October, nearly 35,000 people from 185 countries submitted 80,000 checklists with eBird, demonstrating the power of birds to bring…
Read MoreJewel Basin Hawk Watch 2023 Early Results
by Dan Casey The 16th fall monitoring season at Jewel Basin Hawk Watch (JBHW) kicked off August 25th, and as of September 15th we had conducted 18 surveys. It has been an interesting and rewarding early season, with high species diversity and higher than average counts. We suspect that the extensive fires in British Columbia…
Read MoreMission Raptors Field Trip Summary 3-3-23
by Darcy Thomas On a blustery winter day in March with dark, turbulent clouds and crepuscular rays brightening the countryside, eight delighted birders joined Margaret and I on a tour of the Mission Valley in a quest to view birds of prey. We saw many wonderful birds including Merlin and American Kestrel, Red-tailed and Rough-legged…
Read MoreThe Great Backyard Bird Count 2023
You Can Be Part of The Team – Every Bird Counts By Darcy Thomas It’s time once again for the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), an inter-organizational effort between the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Audubon Society, and Birds Canada who work together to bring the joys of bird watching to the people who love…
Read MoreThe Common Merganser
by Theresa Ciraolo The Common Merganser, as the name implies, is a common bird. However, their status as common is not a downfall for these adaptive, beautiful animals. In fact, since they are frequently spotted in the Flathead Valley, the Common Merganser was the first bird I encountered in Glacier National Park. I had just…
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