I have seen one nestling in there so far in a view through the scope in the living room. Remains to be seen how many total, and they have had three chicks for five years since the nest was built in 2011. When I see an eagle laying down in the nest I add 35 days for incubation and viola! Hatching on April 12th or 13th this season, what a treat. A No-Canada Goose-Year.
Thank-you from a school, when we still did assemblies a couple days a week: Max the Golden Eagle
We started doing programs for the IWFF in 1989, then at Holiday Inn, and programs in Kiwanis Park the first of which had no attendees. Mike Maples assembled some people sleeping under the Higgins Street bridge to attend, then a big crew. The first WildWalk Parade, programs on the stage at Caras Park for 12 years. So always fun to have filmmakers assemble at the Raptor Ranch for a visit, and one gal told me "It's the most fun I have ever had!" Love you, miss you, Chuck Jonkel and Barry Gordon, pals forever.
Our buddy Jack Kirkley of Dillon, recently retired professor at University of Montana Western just found these photos in his archives! Keith Fialcowitz and myself photographing a Great Gray Owl nest in the Big Hole Valley, June 2011. Maybe the next etching will be one from that day...just wait. (Not this one...HA!)
The "Art Inertia" has been on pause for 2025 until this week and just finished a drypoint etching of a Snowy Owl on the Washington Coast. Major turmoil over here the last few months, and needed some cheering up. Printmaking does that! So the photos here are printing, painting, and final product- 9 x 12" printing inks plus a little of each: gouache, pencils, pastels.
Two House Wren nests, cleaning boxes today and hopeful that they return soon. Five pairs nesting here in the yard a few years ago, fewer every year since. Perhaps tough times for these, favorites of our resident songbirds. One with sticks packed in a box, the other on a Aspen tree cavity (my etching...)
The nest right by the visitor's center and seems like it failed last year after a huge wind storm.
An evening view from the yard and he finally showed up! Hopefully back to normal and fledging on the 4th of July!
I watched an eagle through the scope, hunkered down in the nest and looking all around until dark. Now what's up? It was as if she was waiting for a food delivery that did not occur. Then this morning an eagle perched briefly in the limb just over the nest....Okay, now I am wondering, and stay tuned (and an old photo for you.)
"Our" eagle nest that we watch through a scope in the living room, and destination for my daily afternoon walk appears empty. I noticed a hunkered down eagle on the morning of March 9th, about the right time for eggs and incubation, so figured they would be hatching this weekend. Promising picture here from a week ago but haven't seen anyone home since, not even perched in the tree above. That nest built in 2011 has ben vacant before, three years in a row starting in 2018, and now is huge and hard to watch when the cottonwoods leaf out. I've been wrong before, so we shall see.
Here is our teacher showing the students my etching "GHOwl," next to our model for the day Simon. What a ham (the bird I mean.)
That makes 142 schools (so far) and yesterday over at the old Jefferson School, 67 students aged 5-10 enrolled in TEACH. And a unique audience as half of them are refugees from all over and I referred to my handy globe in the office: Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Jordan, Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Tanzania, and Myanmar. WOW! First was a program with Sib, Simon, Billie and Taiga the Rough-leg, then a sketching session for the older kids. I told them I used to live in Cameroon, West Africa and one little clap for that...what a day!
Here is a panorama shot by my favorite teacher, Kevin Cashman and our umpteenth program for Chief Charlo 4th grade. Then they come visit the Raptor Ranch, big day here and sometimes a quick walk to the river to spy on the eagle nest, then Metcalf Wildlife Refuge. Now that's a field trip.
My first Peregrine outing of the season with Jay Sumner and first heard, then spotted the two falcons at Chamberlain Creek up the Blackfoot, distant photos. Always a treat! Then another at Bonner, two cliffs in between empty, just for now (we hope)
On the Penguin and Pheasant sculptures and new Falconhouse. Last evening, dumping'!
Wood Ducks, too. They love our little pond in the front of the house and we love them. The true native birds at the feeder alongside side the Ring-necked Pheasants, California Quail, and Eurasian Collared Doves.
First heard them on St. Patricks Day for a split second, then several more times as their call travels as far as two miles. Finally spotted a couple yesterday, hurray!
"I'm baaaack!" At least we think it's the same Osprey at my neighbor Kathy and Terry's. Early girl, always the female first, determined by the dark "necklace" of feathers, and the last two years on March 23rd. And also both years no young, as the pair abandoned the nest nearly right away last year, perhaps found a better spot. Kathy wonders if it may be due to the new house just to the south. And hey, you House Sparrows! Scram. Anyway, we'll keep an eye and fingers crossed!
...Loves Sibley the Peregrine! He told me to park by the hitching post (for horses!)
Just out this week and 10,000-16,000 printed copies + on line flip-book https://issuu.com/406woman/docs/406_woman_march_april_2025_lifestyle/14 Me So Proud.
I knew we had to move a bunch of birds with the neighbor's new warehouse, and thought of the buildings by Miller Barns! I was standing front of a gorgeous greenhouse talking to owner Tim Schrock on the phone. "Can you make it 16 feet long, slanted roof, divided in half, doors on either end?" SURE and two weeks later, the new Falconhouse delivered/installed south of the driveway. Awesome, new pals!
In o In our 25th year at the Raptor Ranch in the Bitterroot Valley, we have undergone a huge facelift this month. Changes in the neighborhood have required us to relocate half our birds, two to the southern side of the property in a new building after the quiet solitude they enjoyed their entire lives. We have new neighbors and their 80 foot warehouse built by the enclosures.There is a solution thanks to an awesome local business and news on the way. Before/After
We started the afternoon with a visit from our favorite high school science teacher, Vanessa Haflich and her Hamilton senior class. It was our 6th year in a row we guessed (bet I could look that up) and lucked out between snow squalls. Then a trip to Missoula for a Board Meeting that we decided was the opposite of a Bored Meeting. Big news on the way.
I keep hearing the name of a place I lived as a kid, "Chicago! Chicago!" and it's all the California Quail in the yard. Beginning of breeding season for these non-native, introduced, everywhere-birds. That's what their call sounds like, but actually we lived in Glenview, Illinois - 1965 or so.
Here's another shot from the program last week for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, or MOLLI, U of M. They gave me a little round of applause when I announced I just got my Medicare card - they are all over 50!
Starting at age 13, in the spring I raised and then released orphaned raccoons and red and grey foxes with the Cincinnati Zoo Jr. Zoologists Club. That fox jumped up on the barbecue grill and swiped a marinated half-chicken when my Dad's boss was over for dinner. Years later when I was 16 (the first time I was allowed to drive by myself) I picked up a baby skunk from photographer Karl Maslowski. It sprayed in the air conditioner in the basement, missing our collie dog Cyrano upon arrival at the house in 100+ degrees/humidity. Yes, Katy was in trouble a bunch.
Discovered these tracks of a big ole raccoon out enjoying the balmy temps at the slough by the house on my Saturday walk with the dogs.
Sib finally spent a night outside, and with a 100 red bulb over her "bed," nice and warm with temperatures approaching 31°F today. Currently back to normal for three falcons and one owl. And their caretaker.
Inside on her carpet this week:
Four birds in the house and currently -17 °F, whew. Thay are all so well behaved - Sib, Mischa, and Sonora the falcons on perches and Little Billie the owl in a kennel. I was reminded of the time Jay Sumner and I were flying our Peregrines on the Rocky Mountain Front, Skip Tubb's ranch. At dawn I attached the transmitters back at Skip's house in near-by Choteau then opened the back of the Subaru for Sibley to chase a Sharp-tailed Grouse. Instead she flew to the nearest perch, pulled up a foot, and thumbed her nose at us. -17 °F. Can you blame her?
The Missoula Art Museum celebrated their 50th anniversary with the Solid Gold Benefit Auction last night, awesome fun. My etching "Sharp-shin" sold and my 1/2 of the proceeds pays off the "new" printing press, gift from Cindy Knutsen. This Richeson Press was missing the bed plate, and now ready to rock & roll when it warms up, as it is in the unheated studio. 19 inches wide so big monotypes in my brain!
Bird-loving friends slipped in a tour just before the blizzard season, last Sunday and fun. We all came inside and I was describing how three birds were in here for a week, mostly nights, subzero temps. One gal pointed over in the corner, "Look, a feather!" I could stuff a pillow with all the falcon and quail feathers in that room. Cracked me up and should have been there when I put Sibley back outside that morning and busted out the vacuum cleaner for our guests.
Snowblower for me, and expert plowing by pal Mike DeNeve, THANKS. And advice by Tom, eagle in the yard.
Five eagles in the yard just now, four Bald Eagles and Nigel the Golden. The youngsters were flying all around hoping for some beef scraps in our enclosure by the river. Nope, outa luck kids.
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