Category - Birds

This category focuses on bird species.

Birds

Photos corroborate Sharp-shinned Hawk ID

Identified a adult Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) from about 50 yards; took several photos to corroborate decision. This encounter was my first accipiter of the year (2/10/2020). Bird perched on a limb of a mature...

Birds

Grouse Encounter, Serendipity

Plumage pure camouflage. I encountered several grouse while hiking on the Big Creek trail (Bitterroot National Forest) near Victor, Montana. A couple birds immediately flew into the upper canopy of nearby mature conifers. Couple...

Birds

Rainy day, great for ducks

Spring female in wetland Closer look at Northern Shoveler Bill size is most defining Taxonomy Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae No matter what angle or time of year the Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata) is defined by...

Birds

Migrant Tundra Swan

Tundra Swan heading north to breeding grounds Look up to see migration in action Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) were flying northward yesterday. I saw four small groups. Identity was confirmed by the calls. Sibley (2014)...

Birds

Townsend’s Solitaire

Townsend’s Solitaire in Ponderosa Pine understory Common thrush of the winter season Juniper berry, favorite winter food Townsend’s Solitaire (Myadestes townsendi) is an interesting bird, it migrates from higher...

Birds

Missoula’s Waterworks Hill

Excellent view of Missoula and north end of the Bitterroot Valley Great for recreation and wildlife This land is on the north end of Missoula, Montana. And yes, there is a water storage structure sited here. But, the land is...

Birds

Birding Dictum: Find the Habitat, Find the Species

Drifted secondary road plowed open Found the snow and… First, I found just the wind and cold. However, after only a couple minutes of scanning (white landscapes are perfect for finding dark moving objects) found some birds...

Birds

Harsh Winter Birding

In Like a Lion…Early March Snow and Cold…Arrive Western Montana just had a wintry February, second coldest on record with a one-in-eight eight inch plus snowfall occurrence over the last 70 years. Russ Thomas, KPAX...