Out This Week...

...98,000 copies! This is sent to all University of Montana alumni, donors and staff, and has the largest circulation of any magazine in the state. Editor John Heaney called this spring to see if I was interested, as he had seen our book and earlier story about the Chickadee Symphony (Oct 14, 2011 blog.) He wanted to have long-time pal, writer Ginny Merriam do the profile, and then they decided we had the cover! Photo by my buddy Keith Fialcowitz (plus another one in the story,) taken at the MPG Ranch last winter. They included some of my photos and those of Todd Goodrich, in the classroom and at the Raptor Ranch. Click to read. http://www2.umt.edu/montanan/f12/contents.asp

Finally Done!

What a marathon over the last week, and I just finished the 5 foot Gyrfalcon, whew- 18 gauge steel and brass eyes, started first of July, "And done in two or three weeks," I assured Tom who had to move the raft out of the garage.  One single piece took two hours yesterday- guess which one.  Thanks to Hans Peeters for the technical advice, emails back and forth and sketch to go by, where he defined the upper breast (with feathers that make "boobs" with a "cleavage" and he's right on!) I just found out it will accompany my photographs for a show at the Holter Museum in Helena in January, wee doggies! This is sponsored by Tthe Nature Conservancy and also features the work of (drumroll please) Ansel Adams!

Back from The Front

We made the trek back to the Rocky Mountain Front and had a few days of fun with The Nature Conservancy's Women's Week at Pine Butte Guest Ranch. Sib, Alisa, Jillian and Owen the Owl were stars for the program just before social hour, a PowerPoint the next morning, then hunt with the falcon. That was a bit nerve-wracking in planning, but came off without a hitch as the women marched through the wide open country in search of game birds. To my surprise, we scared up a huge white-tailed jackrabbit that Sibley stooped on repeatedly, just in play I imagine, but I think our audience was split down the middle, half rooting for the rabbit. Thanks to the ladies for your generosity, and Jeff, Nikki and Kat for a trip I'll never forget. Tonight a program at the University for the Montana Chapter of the American College of Physicians, then back to welding, whew!

Falcons Everywhere

Todays flight at the MPG Ranch across the river brought in a Prairie Falcon in play (top) and young male Peregrine on the hunt (middle.) Sibley was up a few hundred feet, following along when the Prairie showed up and they circled together for about 5 minutes (bottom photo.) Then I heard kacking and looked to see Sib in a scrap with a wild Peregrine so I called her into the lure. Safe and sound, the wild falcon stooped on sparrows that the dogs were scaring up in the grass, then must have seen something better at the river and he was gone. Notice the molt on Sib, man o man.

Day One

Just back from Sibley the Peregrine's first flight of the season, falconry season that is, and her tenth year in the air. Not too impressive...yet, but we have seven months of fun ahead. She is still overweight (aren't we all?) but not overly so like in past years. So, as her molt finishes up we drop her rations a bit and exercise nearly every day. The dogs are as excited as we are, and ran in circles when they saw the vest and telemetry and perch in the back of the car. Wait 'till you see the big press ahead, and here's a sneak peek - Montanan Magazine.

Off To Press

The latest book is on the way to the printers and here is the cover. Their designer cropped the photo quite a bit, which will take some getting used to, but an eye-catcher. Stackpole Books in Pennsylvania expects it out in January 2013, and I negotiated for a bunch of copies so will sell them (out of the Subaru!)

Dog Not Included

Working every day on the big Gyrfalcon sculpture, and now starting on the hard part: the head and face. Man, this is fun! and just visited Bill Ohrmann's to see his new Kodiak Bear sculpture, installed in his yard/gallery last week, and photo on the way.
UPDATE!  As of Tuesday, we have corrections to the feather scheme by master painter and pal, Hans Peeters, so ripping of that top row, at least!

One Omelet Coming Right Up

Just kidding. We don't eat these eggs, but Chesty the 22 year old Harris's Hawk doesn't trust me. She laid these eggs a few weeks ago, and has been "incubating" on and off. When she goes for her daily fly around the yard, she goes back to her building after about 20 minutes to check on her eggs. No male, infertile, won't hatch, no babies....I have had to explain that ad nauseum to friends that visit. I put up a square of shade cloth so she would't bake in the sun, and after a while she'll lose interest and I'll pull them. One year Sibley the Peregrine laid nine eggs! Speaking of Sib, she quit molting a couple weeks ago without dropping those critical three outer primary feathers on either side.  I got this brilliant idea - I threw a bunch of old primary feathers in her building (to remind her) and she started molting two days later. Absolute science.

Balance Beam Bird

Never Weld In Your Sandles

Ouch! Sparks have been flying in the former garage, now welding studio, and I've been working on this 5 1/2 foot metal Gyrfalcon. I think this shiny cold-rolled 18 gauge steel lends itself to a Gyr, white phase, and I plan on getting it sandblasted and powder coated so it won't rust. Those darn toes took all day yesterday- 1/2 inch rods, acetylene torch, hammer and anvil, grinder, weld and talons.  A painter/falconer friend told me "I like what I see. Don't screw it up." and to be careful with the beak.  The big push begins to get it done, then it goes out in the yard with all of the other birds, live and otherwise.

Osprey Saga

My pal Barry Gordon has been documenting some amazing Osprey behavior this summer right in his front yard - which happens to be Flathead Lake. He's been watching a nest that was built on a platform he installed by the dock at his cabin on Wildhorse Island. It's the first year for this pair and a very late start with one chick. A nearby Osprey nest failed and that female would drop by and try to land in the nest, huge fights between the girls. The male often brought in Kokanee Salmon, not found in Flathead but only in distant lakes, interesting. Barry's birds are very territorial and they both chase any Bald Eagle that comes into sight. That might be what happened to the male, as he disappeared a week and half ago, prey to an eagle or some other tragedy. Not able to watch the female struggle with feeding the young, Barry to the rescue and he took over the fishing duties. Whatever he catches gets a blast from the air compressor so it floats (very clever) and she learned in no time at all that Barry is the breadwinner. With a whistle, she perks up and retrieves the fish tossed off the dock, seen here. Then Wednesday, he picked up a little gift from Harraman Trout Farm in Mission - 35 rainbows! He probably has them in neighbor's freezers all over the island... So with a week still before fledging, the two Ospreys are set with trout. One other bit of odd behavior, the male from that nearby nest actually made a few fish deliveries to the nest last week, just dropping a fish in a fly-by.  Barry is perched in his observation deck, documenting the whole thing with his Nikon D300, and we'll post more photos. Great work!

Eagle Update

Yesterday I got this snapshot of FOUR young Bald Eagles on our building and looks like the Teaching Team birds couldn't care less. In the evening, two of them were chewing on what looked like a mummified squirrel skin across the river, still whining to be fed. The other four eagles made it to Oklahoma, the van quite aromatic after the long road trip. Jennifer reports: "One of our Florida males seems quite taken by the big female and has sat with her practically everywhere she goes in the enclosure! Love at first sight I suppose."  So glad to have that happy ending.

Eagles Whisked Away

Two very charming sisters from the Potawatomi Tribe whisked away the four eagles yesterday, bound for Oklahoma in an air-conditioned van. As a parting gift, one of the Bald Eagles nailed my hand through a gap in the glove. Jennifer Randell and Bree Dunham run the Citizen Potawatami Nation Eagle Aviary in Shawnee, OK and will keep the three Bald's, Bill Voelker at Sia, the Comanche Nation center in Cyril will care for the Golden Eagle. These birds spent 12 memorable days here, drawing in wild Bald Eagles from the nest across the river, begging and screaming all day (top photo.) These birds arrived from a center that closed will be placed on federal Native Use Permits,  their molted feathers collected for cultural purposes. The Potawatami Tribe is originally from the Great Lakes region, and they revere Bald Eagles. Young birds called "Spotted Eagles" were kept for two years then released, feathers given at important events in tribe member's life. Since they were re-located by the government (about eleven times!) they have found it difficult to acquire the feathers. A brand new aviary has been constructed, 150 feet in length with trees and plants and even a creek running through, so comfort for the birds. 
It sure is quiet around here all of the sudden.

Raptor Round-Up 41

See it here in living color! Raptor Round-Up number 41 with  Peregrine Milestone, meet Owen the Northern Saw-Whet Owl, Golden Eagle release, Bald Eagle & Osprey battle, The Coyote Choir and more! Being very 20th century, I still send out over 200 of these in the mail three times a year, and remember the first one in September 1998, cut and paste with scissors and tape. It sure looks nice in color, so check it PLUS our new YouTube of Amy Martin and the Coyote Choir performing "I Dig My Feathers" here at the Raptor Ranch! And then go outside, okay?