Yesterday

Nico's first fire in the wood stove and some more Trumpeter Swans. Perhaps someone installed the  collar on the one in the center upside-down, numbers and letters, I don't know.

Trumpeter Swans Today

Opening day of waterfowl hunting season, and hope these swans are safe at Upsata Lake up the Blackfoot. Thanks host Barry Gordon!

Nico the Dog

 Man, that program last night in Stevi was a Top Five of all time. Our host forbade little children and many of the attendees said that’s a main reason they came, too funny. Packed house, I mean library.
And friends Molly and Kerr at MPG Ranch yesterday. Leaves they are a'turning.

Program Today

See you at the Stevensville Library at 5 pm for a fun program of PowerPoint plus birds, including Sibley, Simone, Simon, and Owen the Saw-whet pictured here. 5 pm and lots of my books. Hey, it's a library! Free and open to everyone.
And a young Peregrine on the beach, chased away by magpies.

Flying Fish

Last night as I was photographing the dogs on the beach with Tom, a brown trout flew by. And look, it's an adult Osprey, no doubt from far north of here heading to the non-breeding grounds of who-

knows-where.

Buddies From Utah

Right when I returned from Hawk Mountain, I was serenaded by music from just across the road from the airport at Big Sky Brewing Amphitheater. Hey, that's the Avett Brothers! Actually never heard of them but my pals from Salt Lake were there, and paid us a way too brief visit on their way home, Joseph Dane and Bret with the eagles.
Then a Raven flew by, on his way to go molt.

Five and Five

Top: Five years ago hunting 'em up with some guests.
Lower: Five minutes ago looking out the window in the office.
Sonora the Aplomado/spoiled Falcon.

Cover Girl

I got the cover for the latest issue of American Falconry Magazine, immature Peregrine on the Washington beach in the rain. Thanks researcher/tour guide Dan Varland of Coastal Raptors! Our second cover, the first of Sib catching a duck. Thanks to editor Steve Jones, ever watchful for great raptor images like those from Rob Palmer and Nick Dunlop.

Turkey Vulture + Pelicans

Hawk Mountain and Lee Metcalf

More Hawk Mountain

I call it The Mecca (along with The World Center for Birds of Prey at The Peregrine Fund in Boise.) This visitor's center is stunning with carved birds and a cool migration map. This was where I presented my program, hawks overhead. They also have cars with unique photo paint jobs. So glad to have been invited!

BWHA

That's the scientific abbreviation for the Broad-winged Hawk, favorite species at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary yesterday. I had to head home at around noon so hightailed it to the South Lookout close to the visitors center at 10 am, just in time for the first flood of birds. It had been raining for weeks and this was the first sunny day, hawks awaiting the moment to migrate south. These are "kettles," or flocks of raptors circling together in the rising air as the ground heats up - a thermal. At one point we counted (guessed) over 400 at once in a flock, easier to see with a backdrop of clouds. Then they all "stream" or glide to the next thermal to gain altitude again, little energy expended. Clever, huh? All the way to Brazil! In that two hour time span, 2770 Broad-wings flew by, 3308 for the day. WOW!

Back From Hawk Mountain Sanctuary

Just returned from Pennsylvania, 6 1/2 hours in the air on United Airlines, and what a wonderful weekend! Here is my new pal Rachel Spagnola who invited me to speak at Hawk Mountain last year, and long-time buddy Laurie Goodrich, Director of migration studies. Saturday, not much in the skies but Sunday broke all records, I'll bet. Just as I had to leave. Plus Rachel and trainees. More on the way later today.

Edition Begins

It took some different ink combinations, but finished the printing part of the new Osprey etching. You wipe the plate like normal, then apply a frisket to the bird, background grey rolled on with big brayers, wider than I've been using. Now the painting part...which gets kind of tedious after a while.

AND off to Hawk Mountain, Pennsylvania at 5 am tomorrow, O-Dark-Thirty. I am very excited, and have revised/updated my PowerPoint and am bringing binoculars to watch the migration. I just hope I can get home with the hurricane airport traffic! Lousy timing, but wishing the best for those in the Carolinas.

Young Entomologist

Nico was studying this "Western thatching ant and a European ground beetle" identified by our pal Glenn Marangelo at the Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium. Cool, huh?

 

River Birds

Our one remaining snag was loaded with birds - top to bottom: Eastern Kingbird, Lewis's Woodpecker, and a bunch of Cedar Waxwings and Evening Grosbeaks. Then a Great Blue Heron flew by.

Pals Now

Just took a few weeks, almost.

Simon Is So Helpful

Simon the Great Horned Owl was helping today with my new drypoint etching of an Osprey, an inspiration. I draw the image on special plastic with a utility knife, ink it up, print in the press and paint with gouache. Done soon and same with Simon's molt, hopefully.

Nico and Mookie

Nico's first trip to the river, reluctant to cross the little bridge but coaxed by Tom and Mookie when she realized she was going to miss a beach party. Excellent dogs, both.

Our House

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary

Just two weeks away, a big speaking engagement at Hawk Mountain, Pennsylvania! One of my favorite places, established in 1934 as the world's first privately owned refuge for raptors.   In 2007 they hosted the Raptor Research Foundation Conference, and here is Director Keith Bildstein  explaining how tens of thousands of raptors per year fly by this spot, formerly used as a shooting gallery. Awesome and an honor.