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.