Fall Colors Heron, Today

 

Powerpoint

Sonora the Aplomado was giving me advice on my Powerpoint for Monday's Audubon meeting. Just for a second on that perch, as she has a favored spot on the book cabinet (with newspaper below.) Boy, this "slideshow" is loaded with past birds, programs, books and art. And the recent dramatic changes at the Raptor Ranch, including bird behavior - poor Mischa the Peregrine is terrified to leave her new enclosure. I'm working on Plan B and have a Plan C and D....

My Heron Gal

 

Five Valleys Audubon Program, Monday

Monday, Oct 13th, 7 pm, U not M,   Interdisciplinary Sciences Building

Almost Forty Years of Raptor Programs (and Other Projects)     

    Raptors of the Rockies Director Kate Davis will present a retrospective look at a life with birds and the remarkable education program that began in 1988. Through an action-packed PowerPoint, we’ll learn how she got started and has inspired adults and children by sharing her stories and captive raptors, meet the birds through the years, explore the facilities, and discuss the new ranch transformation and challenges for 2025. We’ll also discuss her other projects like photography, writing and illustrating seven books, and creating artwork from welded sculptures to etchings. The All-Bird Channel. Kate will have raptors stars along, Peregrine and Golden Eagle that were here last Raptors of the Rockies Five Valleys Audubon meeting 14 years ago, plus owl favorites. We’ll try to fit all this in an hour, folks.

    Years ago Kate remembers someone at her 1000^th education program shouting, “See you at number 2000!” That seemed inconceivable, at the time, but she is getting close. Kate acquired the proper federal and state permits back in 1988 when located at a rental property in Clinton. The Raptor Ranch in Florence is on the banks of the Bitterroot, purchased in 2001. She designed and carpenters built all new enclosures for the non-releasable and falconry birds - falcons, hawks, eagles and owls. This “Teaching Team” accompanies her all over the state for schools and the public, over 140,000 participants and 145 schools, plus PowerPoints across the country. And after the Audubon talk, as in every single program, we’ll all hoot up an owl as a finale.

 

 

    

Sibley Tribute

On the KPAX Television News  website.   https://www.kpax.com/news/western-montana-news/montana-morning-headlines-monday-october-6-2025

 

Projects

 One last grass mow, now taking down the shade cloth for the eagles, sure easier than putting it up. Then wind up the hoses, butcher 30 chickens and write a grant. I remember a woman years ago informing me, "All you do is feed your birds." HA!

Great Blue Heron

I love this bird and missed a shot of her catching a big fish because I didn't have my camera, an image that plagues me! Finally a photo after a few weeks of practically nothing. My friend Star commented, "Everything is so shaggy!"

New Art

Thanks to everyone for the Sibley the Peregrine condolences. I actually finished this drypoint etching that night after she passed, a late night, and for Sib. "Thistle Heron" Drypoint etching with gouache, pastels, pencils. 12" x 16" I hammered various round metal objects into the plastic background for the flowers. Experiment, as always.
                                        

Mose and Nico

Daily trip to the river and I remind them: You are Labrador RETRIEVERS. 

David Sibley

Sibley meets her namesake, hero David Sibley, at Pine Butte Guest Ranch where we were so lucky to have had 8 years of programs together for The Nature Conservancy. Added it up and our Peregrine Pal had 764 formal education programs, 962 tours over here, for 72,258 children and adults, not including the 4 TV shows. And thanks for all the beauteous posts friends, so miss you Sib. And a KPAX News television show on Sunday, will remind you.

Cover Girl, Sib

 

Keith Photos

My pal photographer Keith Fialcowitz accompanied us a few times, and check out the shots. That's Sib's shadow, flying right over his head.

Hunt 'Em Up

Sibley sure caught a lot of game. Not enough to keep us fed (an old joke by John Craighead) but  kept me on my toes. Mostly ducks, mallards preferred, and we have the same season a gun hunters, with a week tossed in mid- January for good measure. Here she caught a rooster Ring-necked Pheasant at Teller Wildlife Refuge, yummy. We let them pluck away, eat some neck meat, and then offer a formally frozen quail and they step off the warm kill that we keep/eat. 4000 year old sport.

Yard With Dogs

Mourning Sibley's passing and our yard the morning after.

 

Sib Favorite

 

The Day After

Major reflections today on Sib.  Every morning since we got the Falconhouse I would walk over there first thing and see if she was still with us. Half the time barefoot on the gravel in the driveway. Then I’d make the coffee. This is a major blow over here. But all night I recounted her hunts and programs, and figured she flew about 2500 times (most days, 7 months a year, 20 years.)  Only spent one night out. Now THAT was a night I didn’t sleep. Got her back at Metcalf after I followed the beep signal all the way to Stevensville and it was a kennel full of mountain lion hunting dogs with transmitters on their collars, same frequency. The owner turned them all off and silence. Then found her standing on a fence at the refuge…whew.

Sad To Lose Sibley

Our Hero Bird, Sibley has died. Last evening fine, and today I was cradling her for a half hour with her heavy breathing as I sat on the edge of the Falconhouse. Every morning I would tell her “Five more years.” Well, it worked for two years. Thankfully. I was reminding her of all her amazing stories and conquests. She opened her eyes and died at 2:30, in my arms. Buried by the building, wrapped in a Sibley t-shirt from 22 years ago. As you can imagine, I am devastated and trying to imagine Life without Sibley. What a hero, pal, educator, and family star she was. This will be tough.

Eagle Tree

 

Osprey Today!

 

Lowest Flow Ever

Top photo is the bridge across the slough in the back, taken in May. Second photo is now at the beaver dam. Barely any water flowing now, and always happy to have the rain. The Blog from July 6th shows the beaver dam in early construction, whew. This is actually Childs Creek, and nearly every year that bridge is floating in the spring runoff and we have to re-install it, somehow.

Falconhouse, Etc.

A snapshot today of the Falconhouse, our home and the warehouse of the neighbor's in the backdrop. Hopefully won't get 100 degrees in the new building any longer and have to move Sibley inside every afternoon, but we shall see. No shade and planted little pine trees all around that will help. Eventually.

Hey! That's a BIRD Feeder!

 

2026 Calendar at the Printers

The new 2026 Raptors of the Rockies Calendar and this will be the cover. Twelve months of photos, other birds and mammals this time! Burrowing owl mother and youngsters that nested in an old badger den, the Sapphire Mountains near-by.

Red-tail Fave

How many photos of this bird do you need, Kate? Apparently dozens and a few more today, love this gal.

Metcalf Refuge, Chillin!

 

Love This

My artist friend Deborah Mitchell gave me this when I first started printmaking in 1989 and it hangs in the studio! Yep, that was an old pick-up line, remember?

Labor Day Puppy

 Mookie wasn't too pleased for a week or two, seven years ago with Nico!

Sorry For the Silence!

Yep. Had to buy a new computer (Mac mini) and monitor (Samsung Odessy OLED) after a terrifying day thinking I had lost everything on the 8 year-old iMac. We have TimeMachine, but whatever. So thanks to these suggestions of new systems and installation help from Fletcher at The Computer Guys in Missoula, back at it...mostly.  Hopefully good for another 8 years now. And young Common Mergansers just now, a flotilla in all. They must fly upstream to float this stretch every day, 15 of them.

Brand Brand New

Just finished this one, a drypoint etching and this time decided to paint the whole thing rather than roll in printing inks for the background. Instead used water soluble pastels, pencils and gouache paint. 12 x 16" 

Mose Can Fly

 

Couple More

These young Common Mergansers were feeding in the shallows, quite fun to watch and a dozen in all. Then they made a break for the deep water swimming right toward the perched eagle, who flew when they approached for some reason. I doubt he could catch these diving birds anyway, disappearing underwater.

 

Today

 Wish the eagle was in focus!

Program Today

Spirit At Play Early Childhood Program in Missoula, our first visit in 15 years or so! We talked about what a raptor eats and decided meat, and when I asked the kids what a falcon like Sibley here would fly down out of the sky to grab, they told me meat!

Great kids and wait till you see the thank-you cards tomorrow -OWLS

Today

 Thanks, Brown's Greenhouse, Florence

Nest-Mates

Non-native Eastern Fox Squirrels lived and raised young in the Bald Eagle Nest as well, lower right. They would dive for cover when an adult showed up, quite often bringing in a fox or Columbian Ground Squirrel. Other prey included birds from starlings and pigeons to ducks and geese, deer (roadkill or prey as I saw the female kill a fawn) and, oh yea, fish.

Old Times

Here's a fun one, four Bald Eagle chicks in the nest on the Clark Fork River, topic of my book in 2013. At that point only 12 eagle nests ever had that many, and the siblings all got along like pals, parents bringing in everything from pigeons to deer. Do you see the fox squirrel just above the "D" ? They lived in the nest as well, with young!

Willow and Sign

Rebecca's loving dog Willow and the sign removed from the broken, burned snag, no more nest. "Wildlife Tree-saved for their food and shelter."And below, a Northern Goshawk nest in the Bighole, 2016. Pal Jack Kirkley set up a cool blind but we only fooled the female for a minute or two, then she perched above and stared at me.

Nest Quest

I was delighted to accompany Rebecca Mowry with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks to search for some hawk nests yesterday. Two Goshawk and one Cooper's hawk nest were marked with telemetry and we hiked up Larry Creek near Florence to see if they had been occupied this season. Turns out they were in an area burned by the Forest Service to combat a larger fire back in 2017. I was just happy that my bad knee worked as I opted to not have another total knee replacement this year. 

Poser

 

Incoming!

 "Baby girl, go find something to scavenge," said dad on a Sunday.

Brand Spanking New

Another experiment, this one "Pelican Flotilla." A drypoint etching with water-soluble pastels in the upper background, then run through the press and the damp paper picks up the colors! Took a few tries, then painting with gouache and some colored pencils. Whew. I just ran out of wall space so am having a carpenter cover the windows with drywall. Just kidding. 16" x 12" 

Flurry of Activity

Last evening I was turning off the fans in the Falconhouse when both birds started screaming. Right away a wild Peregrine began high speed swoops on the building, circling the yard in attack mode. A big adult female and even the coloration of a "continental" anatum Peregrine, that salmon cast to the ventral feathers. Cool.

 

Pet Pigeons

Our racing homing pigeons, flying around several times a day. I could take them to your house and they would beat me home. Eight and two babies still in the nest.

Farewell Friend from Afar

I live for jazz and the go-to station is KCSM from San Mateo, CA and Jazz Station to the World. My favorite announcer is Sonny Buxton on Saturdays, and today is his final show, retiring from the station after 28 years. "Pull the Plug Day" he calls it. We named our eagle after him! 60 years total in radio and even TV and love you Sonny.  Good luck, and we'll miss you!   https://www.kcsm.org/

Last Evening Eagles

Three of them. This morning both fledglings were standing on Sonny and Nigel's enclosure fence, discovered by the dogs before I could grab a camera.