Author: BradinMontana
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Pinyon Jays; Number 48 on the 2025 Year List
Poor quality image, but high-quality experience. At the end of a 2 mile (3.2k) morning walk in the Scratchgravels, I heard a few Pinyon Jays in the distance to the west of the parking area. Since I was certain they were Pinyon Jays, I could count them for the year list by sound only, but…
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First Day Birding 2025
Jan 1, 2025 What a wonderful 1/1 birding day. We had a couple of simply magical moments and ended the day with 43 species positively ID’ed- by far our best First Day. All told, we walked six miles in several different locations. Before I go into the magical, I want to share the oddities. We…
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Obsidian, My Trail Companion
Obsidian Black Dog has accompanied me on every single one of the now 1,301 trail miles I’ve taken this year. And all the miles I’ve taken in the prior 8 years as well. He’s got lots of favorite trails and he often refuses to go the way I want to go- particularly when we get…
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1000 Miles in Helena’s Hills
On December 31st of 2023, while walking on the Helena Ridge Trail, I decided I wanted to walk every named trail in the south hills system and attempt to surpass 1,000 trail miles. The first goal was obtained when I walked Far East on November 10. From Aftershock to Waterline, and Barking Dog, to West…
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Butterflies and Moths
When I walk in the hills, I always have a few things in my pouch- dog items, bear spray, a small wind meter, and a Nikon super zoom camera are my mainstays. I also carry my phone. For flowers, rocks, and landscapes, I use my phone. For birds, mammals and most reptiles, I reach back…
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Last Day of Autumn
There are two ways to define winter. One is meteorological winter and the second is astronomical winter. They differ primarily in what criteria are used. Meteorological winter is based on temperature cycles and is aligned with the calendar. December 1 is the start of meteorological winter. Astronomical winter is based on the position of the…
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Mammals
Mammals tend to be fewer and farther between than birds and wildflowers everywhere in the Helena valley. That being said, I have seen a few species around- ground squirrels, deer, antelope, foxes, hares, and the occasional moose. I’ve seen moose three or four times this year. Our moose sighting on July 12 was especially memorable.…
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Owls
It’s been a good monthlong stretch of owl sightings. We’ve seen 5 or 6 Northern Pygmy Owls, a stunning Long-eared Owl, and a seriously intimidating Great Grey. In each case, these were my first ever sightings in the wild. The Great Grey sighting was the most dramatic. Obi and I were on our monring walk…
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Pseudo Solstice 2024
Here in Helena today, December 10, 2024, is the start of the celestial dance that results in the light winning the battle over darkness and slowly streaming back into the northern hemisphere. The most well-known part of this dance is the solstice. But the solstice is just moment in time. As is typically the case,…
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Birds
I love seeing and hearing birds when I am on a trail. Birds are typically the most common animal anyone ever sees, but most people take them for granted, don’t notice them at all, or curse them for making ‘deposits’ on their car. In my family, we make an effort to find them. Montana has…
Nature, every day. 