Love a Yellowlegs!

 

New

New one, drypoint etching called "Backyard Balds" and portrait of our resident pals. 15 x 12" with a bunch of pastels to finish it off. Officially run out of wall space in the office. Said that before. HA!

Greater Yellowlegs Just Now

 

Happy Hour Today

Friday fun with an Osprey perched on the eagle nest tree.

 

Here's a Good One

  Bald Eagle chasing a young Osprey at the beach.Wow!

Happy Hour at the Beach Today

 

California Quail!

 

Osprey!

Found!

I just found this forgotten pen & ink from high school, Screech Owl. I remember we made it into prints that I sold around the neighborhood...to buy music albums at the mall!  About 1976 or '77 (Talking Heads!)

Song Sparrows

Babies all over the beach, sort of.

Killdeer Today

 

A Dozen Nighthawks

 Finally!

Youngster

 A fledgling American Kestrel male down at the beach yesterday, learning how to perch!

Squaaawk!

 Our friendly Great Blue Heron always lets out a squawk resonating through the trees upon departure from a favorite limb.

"Hi Kate!"

 

Painting Days

The latest etching was an experiment, the moose in our back yard 11 years ago. First on buff paper, it was it was headed for the burn pile because it folded up like an accordion when I painted it. So I printed another edition on heavier white paper and painted that one. The water is acrylic paint. Then Saturday I rescued the buff one,  ironed it flat a dozen times and added colored pencils and pastels. ( I actually used that iron for clothes a few times, Good Will $4.99) It worked! Next - Pair of Bald Eagles, also in our yard.

"Our" Great Blue Heron

I could always tell our resident heron for years by her missing back toe on the right foot. Now I see it is simply tucked under for some reason, a deformity I guess. Wow.

Merlin Visitor

Down by the river this Merlin flew right to me from across the slough, 5 feet over my head and begged and begged. I thought he must be a falconry bird with that band, but turns out it's a research band from somewhere. Merlins are usually only around here in the winter (plus spring and fall) so a nice surprise. 

And still there yesterday, so unafraid, still begging and curious when I threw a little falconry lure with a quail leg attached. I love this bird, and appears to be the black subspecies (suckleyi).

Got This One Today

Osprey and a sucker (that's the fish, not me)

Awwww!

 Baby Black-billed Magpies from a while ago. Right out of the nest.

Brand New

Just finished this drypoint etching "Moose Splash." An experiment and printed four on a buff-colored paper that turns out, didn't like paint and buckled up with the wet gouache. So printed on the heavier standby Rives BFK 280g. Then painted the splash with acrylic, added pencils and pastels and voila! 16 by 12 inches, first mammal since New Years Eve 2024 (the fox.)

Lucky Day

One of the fledgling Great Blue Herons landed just across the river yesterday and caught 5 or 6 little fish, I lost track. And hundreds of photos pared down to 60, further editing today. But first a run to Stevensville to pick up frozen chickens for the eagles. Hey, it's Sunday!

Magpie/Peregrine

 Found these shots, minutes apart of a Black-billed Magpie and Sibley the Peregrine in 2016

What? Another Heron Photo!

Love this bird!

Bald Eagle On the Beach

Just now and she seems to like standing on one little log in the middle of the river. Flew 30 feet over my head, tame as cat, to quote my dear friend Nick Dunlop.

And Great Blue Heron nearby.

Eastern Kingbird

This little songbird loves to chase raptors, here in my yard in the same place, a Northern Harrier and Bald Eagle. See him in between the eagles wings in that last shot? HA!

Today, Dad and Fledgling

 Our Bald Eagles.

Awwwww!

 Cute little pigeons, just out of their eggs hours old. Just kidding about the cute.

And the fledgling Great Blue Heron was waving at us yesterday. Kidding again and just scratching her head.

2011 News

 

Bald Eagle Fledglings

 Bugging our eagles until the dogs chase them off!

Red Squirrel

 The native ones!

Youngster

Great Blue Heron at the beach today, fledgling.

 

Tonight

New One

 Brand new and "Northern Goshawk." Just finished this one today, from some photos of my visit to the Big Hole with Jack Kirkley who installed me in a blind at the nest. It’s when the female knew something was up and gave me that look. HA ! A drypoint etching with acrylic and gouache paint, plus pastels. 10" x 13”.

Happy Birthday Mose

Four years old today!

 

Nigel at the Library

What fun at the Missoula Public Library yesterday and turns out our "host" Xavier saw us at a program at Florence school when in 1st grade. Teacher Byron Weber had the kids vote on one bird to adopt. Peregrine? All hands went up. Great Horned Owl? All hands as well. Byron turned to me and said, "We will learn democracy tomorrow." HA! Fun at then schools and libraries all over the place. Nigel the Golden Eagle here.

Missoula Public Library

Join us tomorrow (Saturday) for a Raptor program at the "new" Missoula Public Library downtown at 1 pm. Free and school-aged kids please, up on the 4th floor in the big Cooper Room. A PowerPoint and Teaching Team Birds, Little Billie the Northern Saw-whet Owl, Sonora the Aplomado Falcon, Jillian the Great Horned Owl and TED Talk star, and one BIG surprise!

MCAT Returns, Again

Missoula Community Access Television's Young Filmmakers' Camp, every year! Yesterday we had a great one and actually started doing these with the International Wildlife Film Festival and Ron Scholl back in Clinton in 1989, if you can believe it. Five films featuring our resident raptors, then a trip to the river. Thanks Scott and Neil and young film enthusiasts. MCAT!

Eagles Friends?

 Man O Man, the female fledgling Bald Eagle wanted some food from our eagles today, Nigel the Golden Eagle did not care bit, a few feet apart. And still there, this shot.

Owen the Owl

Here's a fun one of Owen the Northern Saw-whet Owl "caching" (actually hiding and storing) his half-eaten mice in his building in 2012, maybe to finish eating later. Doubt it. Cracks me up.