Swallowland

Tree Swallows at most every box - Tom built and we installed 18 or 20 nest boxes 25 years ago and here a banded one at the slough bridge. Maybe that leg ID was installed the MPG ranch across the river and downstream a bit. Scienceland!

                                        

My Killdeer Pal

 

Craneland

 Sandhill Crane right in our back yard by the slough yesterday!

Monday on Missoula Community Radio

 I'll be guesting on KFGM radio tomorrow, Monday at noon to 1, MCAT radio. Hosts Scott and Neil and I will discuss the years and years of Raptors hosting young filmmakers workshops, even back in the Clinton days of the '90's. I will be on after some announcements at the beginning and should be a hoot. And some Cinnamon Teal in the back yard yesterday.

https://s4.radio.co/s136b8d11e/listen

Weird Light

 The male launching and feathers under his wing lit up like gold. Weird.

Chick #1

Finally a photo of a baby eagle two days ago and I think I saw a smaller one yesterday. They would be three weeks old, and in 15 years of the nest, two birds fledged 5 times. three birds 5 times, and empty three years in a row starting 2018. Okay, Canada Geese in there! Very soon the leaves will block all of my views, and tricky to see.

Happy International Jazz Day!

 

Front Yard

 We have had up to a dozen Wood Ducks in the front yard, along with some Mallards and Ring-necked Pheasants. Little seeds from the pigeon supply under the bird feeder.

For the Love of Birds Art Show

Gallery 709, 709 Ronan Street in Missoula.

Sculptures by Tom Melhuse, drawings and paintings by Tom Zavitz and Stephanie Frostad, photography by R T Cox, and original prints by Kate Davis.

Opening Friday from 5-9 pm, music by Strummingbird Vegabond. Show “flies” all month, see you Friday!

                                

Thanks, Friend and Today

 

Saturday Nest

I still haven't seen any little heads popping up, not quite three weeks old and always a surprise to count the offspring. And a big nest now! One year I was convinced they had two chicks and a nearly fully-grown third bird peered over the edge. Ooops.

Another Backyard Bird

 

Next Day

 

Weather...

Everyone complains about the weather and no one does anything about it. 80 degrees here on Tuesday, currently snowing. 

Another Yardbird

 

The Nest

 By my calculations (guesswork) the chicks in the eagle nest hatched two weeks ago today. It becomes nearly impossible to see in there when the cottonwoods leaf out. As best as I could do yesterday, and I watched the male bring in a squirrel(?) first thing in the morning, through the spotting some in the living room.

Tiny Toad

 Our friend Dave Plummer spotted this amphibian down by the river, maybe a Western Toad and just over an inch in size. Wow.

Eagle Yard

 Three young Bald Eagles in the yard, I swear right overhead by the garage, and the two may be last year's siblings from the nest across the river. Playing.

Hamilton High School

Hamilton High seniors science class last month, a ton of tours over the years thanks to teacher extraordinaire, Vanessa Haflich. These were the best ever, and when I asked who is a zoologist, artist, dog fan...all hands went up. Some tears when they met Billie and Portia, and all the birds. We just got the greatest thank-you card today, including "the highlight of my year." Good luck, seniors!

Bitterroot Ospreys!

 

Front Yard

 Really, eagle perched in a pine in the front yard. Thanks, guy.

Favorite Hawk

 A male Northern Harrier flew right over my head as I was watching the eagle nest, a first!

Hooded Variety

 My other favorite ducks, these Hooded Mergansers in the slough and at the river, yesterday!

And Tree Week as I dug up local Ponderosa Pines from Mike DeNeve's and planted them around the Falconhouse as there is NO shade. This was a real problem last summer and brought Sibley in every day with over 100 degrees on that side. 

Next!

Brand New One, drypoint etching, acrylic background and gouache paint birds, pastels and an experiment that almost ended up on the "burn pile." 14" x 9" and our favorite front yard ducks. I love painting these listening to Terry Conrad on MTPRadio, Jazz Sessions! 

Eagle Nest

 I think the eagles hatched yesterday, the female taking a break across the Bitterroot, male filling in. This will be fun, year 15.

Yardbirds on the Road

 

Male Northern Harrier XXOO

Slough Goose

 

Eagle Enclosure/ MPG Ranch Backdrop

 

And Lastly...

Our favorite Peregrine ledge up the Blackfoot occupied by two Canada Geese. No way the falcons would be sharing that nest spot, but hopefully some young from a few years ago will come back and kick them out. Empty for two years probably because of highly contagious avian influenza, so sad.

Firsts

My first Osprey of the year, Clark Fork river by Bonner, and first Peregrines, up the Blackfoot River at Chamberlain Creek! Cool!

Today Nest

The Bald Eagle Clark Fork River nest, topic of my book in 2013, now with a big garbage bag inhabitant.

Mischa the Peregrine

 

Regal...and Wet

 

Eagle Bath

 Flew off the nest and landed right in front of me, what a show!

GBHeron Day

Lucky shots of the Great Blue Heron at the slough yesterday and almost didn't bring my camera with the light rain. She wouldn't fly as the eagles were right overhead! Weird, the eagles are settled in the nest as if incubating, then flying around and perched in the neighbor all day. Bet we don't have offspring this year. Want to place bets?

Raven In the Yard

 Weird color in the sun, this friend was right in the yard. We counted 50+ Ravens flying over Point Six the day before, skiing at SnowBowl!

Well, It Worked!

Coming up on 3 years since the botched total knee replacement surgery and gave it a try yesterday, first time since.  I met up with pals Tyler and Kim, thanks Brad for the generosity and kindness, and off we headed...for the groomers!  Surprise and thank goodness, IT WORKED and I am now able to make right-hand turns, the left knee with problems and surgery in 1982, then tragedy with surgery in 2023. No way I was going to go through that again, and have just been dealing with the pain. Photo here by Kim Abbe Thomas in a little side trip off the top. OHHHH I am saying with Tyler in the background.

Two More Today!

 

Posers

 Back at it yesterday, nest tree, and sure wish the one on the right was incubating. We shall see...

Brand New

I had this image of Sibley and made an oil painting of her standing on a duck 16 years ago. Then got the idea to paint in acrylic and ruined the original, no can paint over oils. So this new one, started last week and 24" x 20" in acrylic on canvas. Back to etchings now.