Day Too (or Two)

Today we were joined by Sibley the Peregrine left, Alisa the Red-tail (right), plus Margo the Sharp-shinned Hawk resting in her travel crate for another morning at the Missoula Art Museum. The Boys were helping me unload Sib from the back seat of the Subaru. Check out the gorgeous Gallery below, fine artists every single one. Tomorrow...life-sized paper mache raptors and a bunch of Peregrines will be in the works, sounds like. Sometimes species change in mid-construction!

                                         

Day 1 at the MAM

Bev Glueckert and I tell the kids we've been doing this camp for 50 years, and at least one youngster informs us that we are "really old." However I think we have been doing it in some form or another for 20 years, Raptors And Art Workshop for Kids. Today we learned about owls, Miles the Great Horned circled standing on his perch on the left, Owen the Saw-whet on the right. Tomorrow- hawks and falcons then we start making our life-size paper mache sculptures!
By the way, there are a few spots still open for the Filmmaking Workshop for Kids next week with MCAT, filming at the Raptor Ranch Wednesday. For young videographers aged 9-13, another longtime camp with creativity in abundance.

Daughter/Father + Practice Flying

Saturday Cornucopia

When I arrived last night it sure looked like one of the chicks had a big bird in her beak. A chicken? Our friend Gary across the highway where I photograph a kestrel nest told me that adult eagles have plucked poultry right out of his pens. Then several fish deliveries of pike minnow or suckers. The male actually took a big squirrel skin turned inside out from the nest and dropped it into the river, a little sanitation but hate to think of what it looks like up there. Look at those flies in the nest over the chicks. Big flies...the eagles should be thankful they have a very crummy sense of smell.

The 2011 Nest

I came across this photo from the nest on the Clark Fork that fledged four young, the subject of my book. Only twelve nests at the time had ever had that many young, and six were in Montana. The caption for this photo is: All four eagles await another food delivery in a rare moment of calm (and a rare moment with all four showing their faces at once.) That's for sure, and having the same problem with the three eagles in the Bitterroot nest this year.  -  Books available from me. Act now and get a free bookmark!

Another One

Calendar and Magazine

This shot has been seen a lot - the male eagle carrying in about a bale of hay last may. Top is a second later, and you can just see the female's beak on the far left. It appears in the latest issue of National Wildlife Magazine in an article called "Caught In the Act" by Mark Wexler, about breeding birds. Great issue!

Some Spare Photos

You Ewes!

A ewe Bighorn Sheep and year-old offspring, shedding like crazy. They were checking us out at Wildhorse Island on Flathead Lake over the weekend, pal Barry's cabin and sister Betsy's birthday. What a celebration!

Tables Turn the Other Way

Last night it started as a stare down between the male kestrel and no doubt, the same harassing magpie. Then the falcon decided to be the aggressor, but the magpie won out chasing him off the snag. This happens all the time and I can't help but think it's inter-species good-natured fun between a couple of the brightest birds out there.

Cold Springs Elementary Super-stars!

You have to see it to believe it. A fairly recent enterprise for 4th graders is The Wax Museum, in which each student depicts "someone who made a difference in Montana" living or dead. In costume and with a set, these 22 students were Sacagawea, Myrna Loy, Chief Joseph, Evel Knievel...and Kate Davis. The youngster in the blue Raptors of the Rockies t-shirt is Jayden Skousen, complete with a falconry glove, stuffed birds and a live Bearded Lizard! They performed three shows in the Cold Springs gym yesterday for three groups each of students from the school, parents and guests. In an 8 minute memorized speech they tell the tale of their character with wild gesticulations and drama. Hey, it's a TED Talk for kids! I was blown away to say the least, and we hand it to teacher Beth Kennedy for pulling it all together. Jayden was charming and made me blush, as I hid behind my camera to watch her rendition of The Bird Lady. She finished with, "Hoot like an owl!"

Tables Turn

Last night this magpie cruised in to harass the male kestrel across the river and the little falcon said, "No way, Jose." Reminded me of when my Aplomado Falcon Sonora chased a Great Blue Heron off a tree top. Feisty falcons. I wish the light was better but pretty cloudy lately.

Osprey Onslaught

The one thing that scares the daylights out of these eagles is an Osprey. The male flew in screaming and had the look of terror in eyes as an Osprey swooped overhead. This cracks me up as what threat could the fish-eater pose? Quite the opposite as Bald Eagles regularly steal or try to steal their fish. Maybe we just have some cocky Ospreys around here and the eagles regularly hide in the foliage later in the summer. 'Fraidy cats.

Growing Eagles

Not many eagle photos lately with clouds and rain, supposedly hail this afternoon, but got these last night just as the sun set behind One Horse Creek. The chicks are easily as big as their father now, and wish all three would show themselves at once some time. Reminds me of the months I spent photographing the nest in East Missoula for my book, and that was FOUR young! Top is the male after he fed them a fish he caught right in front of the nest. Of course missed that shot, but saw it anyway. And female at last light.