Eureka 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…

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A 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…

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Jewel 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,…

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Jewel 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…

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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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Smith Lake Spring 2022 Field Trip Report

by Darcy Thomas Eleven hardy birders braved the cold, windy morning on April 10th to go bird watching around Smith Lake. We were rewarded for our discomfort by spending a morning in great company and seeing many beautiful birds. We saw a total of 31 species. Our highlights included Sandhill Cranes which we saw at…

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Field Trip Report: Sandhill Crane Viewing – Fall 2021

by Darcy Thomas A group of 12 bird lovers participated in the Sandhill Crane Viewing at the West Valley ponds just north of Kalispell. Darcy Thomas led the group which saw over 250 Sandhill Cranes. From the Bird and Wildlife Viewing Area a large group of cranes grazed in the agricultural fields very near the…

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Smith Lake Field Trip Report – September 2021

by Darcy Thomas A morning of bird watching at Smith Lake in Kila was very successful September 8 with  eleven birders joining Darcy Thomas around the lake. Two were visiting from out-of-state and the youngest was only 5 years old. It was a bit chilly at 41 degrees when we started but warmed up comfortably…

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Smith Lake Field Trip 9-8-21 Report

by Darcy Thomas A morning of bird watching September 8 at Smith Lake in Kila was very successful. Eleven birders joined leader Darcy Thomas; two were visiting from out-of-state; the youngest was 5 years old. It was a bit chill at 41 degrees when we started but warmed up comfortably later in the morning. A…

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