Saturday Chase

I thought the Ospreys were long gone, but this one flew by Saturday evening, chased by a youngish Bald Eagle! Glad I had the "little" camera handy, 400 mm on the Nikon D810.

Sunday Flights

Sib flew around and grabbed a few ducks that got away, half-heartedly hunting. Fine with me as I would have gotten soaked wading across a muddy slough to retrieve them. Then a magpie posed and flew in the last shot. Our hunt was cut short when huge winds kicked in mid-afternoon. Fun!

Colorful Day

Sibley the Peregrine cruised around the field and slough at my friends Mike and Ginny DeNeve's, then decided she was ready to go home and perched , view of the Kootenai Crags and golden larch trees in the Bitterroots. The aspen trees went from bright yellow to gone in two days, skipping the bright red stage this year. A glorious fall day today!

Frosty Morning

This is the path to the river with frost and so far, so snow here in the valley. But on the way!

One More!

This was on the beach by the house last night. Another juvenile Osprey on her way south! Just when you thought they were all gone...

More Fall Colors

One More Osprey

The latest I have seen Ospreys migrating through is September 22nd, but I know the record is some time in November. I will sure miss them, and they'll start coming back April 1st (that's my record.) Here's a youngster in Metcalf Nat'l Wildlife Refuge down the road. This was the Year of the Osprey for me with a slow start, then over 600 photos , mostly on the beach and one making the cover of Montanan Magazine! Plus Sib cruising around, also taken yesterday with beautiful fall colors.

Award!

I was the totally-surprised winner of the Lifetime Conservation Achievement Award 2017 from the illustrious Conservation Roundtable, presenter Dr. Erick Greene. He asked me months ago to send my resume and I informed him that I didn't have one as I haven't had a job in 30 years! Somehow my biography was good enough, and I am included with the ranks of previous winners - Monte Dolack and Mary Beth Percival, Smoke and Thelma Elser who hosted the gala gathering, and Senator Max Baucus. A standing ovation from attendees and the greatest folks in the west in conservation and getting the word out there. Thanks everyone, you are my heroes!

Simone the Red-tailed Hawk

Our newest family member had her debut program on Montana Public Radio, Pea Green Boat with host Annie Garde. Always a bit of a scare, not knowing how she will react to a travel box ride in the car and suddenly "on the air live," but she was awesome. This photo is taken from the control booth by Rhett Pruitt-Hoff, her two kids Henry and Sietze also as guests. No, that's not John Floridis playing guitar on the right - just a poster on the wall! She still has a few feathers poking up on her head, but otherwise has molted into a gorgeous hawk, ready and rarin' too go.

Red Squirrel

R.I.P. Audrey

Our 15-year old constant companion cat Audrey passed away last night and will be very much missed. She seemed omnipresent in the house, garage, yard - everywhere. She even accompanied us to the river in the evenings. Well, she followed Tom as she was his cat. A sudden loss and this will take some getting used to.

Sibley's 15 Season!

Merlins

Either I'm seeing the same little falcon over and over again, or we are inundated with Merlins lately. Well, as much as little speedy, dashing raptors can besiege a yard! This female was chomping on a bird, which makes up just about their entire diet. That's why we have bird feeders (one reason anyway.)
Join us tomorrow at 4 pm MST for an hour on Montana Public Radio, left of the FM dial and streaming live on the web at mtpr.org. Birds, debut program for our new Red-tailed Hawk Simone, and some wonderful kids.

The Last Osprey?

Two young Ospreys were flying in the high winds, gusts nearly blew me over, but they seemed to be playing in the sky. They both had big crops, so were full of fish, but this one half-heartedly swooped on a fish or two.

Deer at the Slough

Pelican Flotilla

American White Pelicans at Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge yesterday, with my pal Cathy Scholtens, shooting birds.

Young Osprey

From the beach tonight, on her way to Mexico or Central America. Minimum travel distance from here is 1000 miles one way, and they stay on the "wintering grounds" for two or three years before venturing back. Oddball birds!

Montana Book Festival

Simon was the perfect program pal on Saturday at Fact & Fiction Books, downtown Missoula. This was our umpteenth program at our favorite book store, but this time a seated audience and all eyes on the owl.  Photo is by our friend Kathy Price, and check out the July 22nd Blog post to see "her" Osprey family. Simon is awesome!

Pileated at the Beach