Yesterday's Blackfoot Blizzard Bird

 

Happy Birthday, Jay!

Happy 80th Birthday Jay Sumner, Montana Peregrine Man! And one Peregrine we saw up the Blackfoot today, despite the blizzards.

16 mm Home Movies

Brother Jonathan's son Zach is a movie/photography buff and took boxes of old 16mm films from Mom's house to turn them in to playable films on the computer! 1962!!!! Baby Jon, KT, and Dad Carlos! Wow, more to come and this is just the first...Thanks, Zach! 

 

Sunday Ravalli Republic

 Thanks to our new pal, managing editor and reporter Jessica Abell for the Sunday Story! And photos...

https://ravallirepublic.com/news/local/of-fate-and-falcons-kate-davis-looks-back-on-50-years-of-conservation-education/article_61270b68-ca9a-11ed-87a8-2b807314d610.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

TED Talk

 One easy way to see the TED Talk and the Sibley Tower of Power video is on our web site, About page.

PowerPoint

I was so happy to meet with my TED Talk Coach from 2015, Hipolito Rafael Chacon yesterday to run my PowerPoint for the Cincinnati Zoo Gig by him. Great, excellent suggestions and added this old photo for the section on raptors and indigenous beliefs.  Next, the TED Talk!

Incoming!

 

Cincinnati Zoo!

In just under a month I am off to the Cincinnati Zoo for an engagement with the Barrows Conservation Lecture, Wednesday, April 19:     

Kate (Phillips) Davis began her avian-loving life here at the Cincinnati Zoo with the Junior Zoologist Club (JZC) and mentor Barry Wakeman. Then only 13 years old, the JZC has influenced every aspect of her life since. Kate founded the education program Raptors of the Rockies 35 years ago and still runs the program from the banks of the Bitterroot River in Western Montana. Along for the ride are a dozen non-releasable and falconry birds, the stars of nearly 2000 programs. They are family and the sources of inspiration for her drawings, paintings, etchings, welded steel sculptures, photography, and writing. Kate has authored and illustrated seven books, including Falcons of North America and Raptors of the West.

Sib Today

 Sibley started to chase some ducks and then remembered that waterfowl season is over.

Hamilton High

The seniors at Hamilton High School, science students, my favorite kids ever with teacher Vanessa Haflich on the right. Great fun today!

Sunday Sib

 

These Are the Cards

 

Back Bedroom

The last photo posted of the guest bedroom had an Aplomado Falcon perched in the middle and 20 below zero outside. Now, card inventory as I am re-stocking at Rockin' Rudys and donating 15 packs of 7 various cards/envelopes to the Montana Public Radio Fundraiser coming up. No guests for a few days more, sorry....HA!

Book Reviewers

I received a copy of the new book The Peregrine Falcon from the authors in the UK, and volunteered to write the review for the Journal of Raptor Research. Editor Jeep Pagel always want a co-reviewer to be an ECRR = Early Career Raptor Researcher, so Carly Muench is helping me. Here she is yesterday, and the same spot 24 hours later! More about the book to come, and it is a true treasure.

Icicles

We haven't see our roof since October, the last of the snow sliding off, looking out the back door. Eagle building in the background. About time, what a winter.

Is This Bacon?!!!

A little pack of ancient bacon was found hidden away in the freezer and I put it in the suet feeder. Somehow the word spread and GONE in about 15 minutes, feeding frenzy of mostly magpies -even some fisticuffs, or beak/feeticuffs and we thought one magpie was injured but just fine. Great actors.

Sib Today

Red-tail Pair Today

 

Early Birds

We have a magpie nest 20 yards from where I'm sitting, a domed stick nest near the top of a Ponderosa Pine we planted 20 years ago. These birds are always the first to nest and have been rebuilding for over a week now, funny to watch in the the snow squalls. I have seen 5 young, maybe 6 fledge at 30 days from that closed (safe) nest, somehow. Young have short tails, pink mouths and light-colored eyes, and they are the ones begging all summer, like this one last July on the Gyrfalcon sculpture. Lots of people don't, but I love magpies (except when they are stealing ALL of the eagles' food.)