Category: Birding
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Rare Bird, Indeed!
I picked up a new lifer this morning following a 4.8-mile walk up to the Helena Ridge trail. The image is of an Ash-throated Flycatcher, which really ought to be a state or two south of us – they spend most of their time in the Southwest. It turns out this is only the 18th…
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Smoky Skies and Species of Concern
Today, the air quality at home was pretty rough – 159 AQI when I woke up at 5:30am. By 7:30, I was up in the hills hoping for a little cleaner air, and looking for birds and flowering plants. As the smoke started to thicken up there too, I decided to break for the plains…
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July Update
We’ve done several terrific bio-blitzes this month. Our first was a quick day trip to the fringes of Lewis and Clark County on July 4th to find a Lark Bunting. Then, July 10th to Yaak to explore fens where we hoped to see sundews; July 18th to the southern edge of the Scapegoat Wilderness up…
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Holiday Weekend – Seized!
Lewis and Clark County is the 14th largest county in Montana. At 3,498 square miles, L&C is larger than either Delaware or Rhode Island. So, the idea that we could get up early, drive 75 road miles all trending north, and still not leave the county isn’t a foreign concept to us – though it…
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Cryptozoics
Not Nessie. Not Bigfoot, but Sparrows, Warblers, and Shorebirds. The longer I Bird, the more I believe Birding may be the real Cryptozoology. I suspect we’ve all heard of the expeditions into the Pacific Northwest looking for an eight-foot ape, or the sonar sweeps of Loch Ness looking for a leftover plesiosaur. I have to…
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May Bioblitz
The Middle Daughter (TMD) and I took our annual Mid-May Bioblitz today. We tend to do a few blitzes every year, but May is usually a standout because it coincides with a strong surge in species due to the spring migration. This year was the earliest we’ve done the First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park,…
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The Curlew’s Song
The genus of the Long-billed Curlew is Numenius – Greek for “of” or “like” the new moon. In various cultures, the curlew symbolizes a duality of sorrow and joy, comfort and sadness; a certain poignancy, I suppose. I’m not sure if the “new moon” refers to the fresh beginning of a lunar cycle – curlews do…
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Why Is SW Montana Such a Biological Treasure Trove?
Yesterday, The Middle Daughter (TMD) and I took off for a mid-day excursion to connect with nature outside the Helena Valley. We encountered an impressive array of birds suited to various habitats, mammals typically associated with alpine areas, and flowering plants found in only a handful of western US habitats – all within about 30…
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Obsidian Black Dog
April 11, 2026 update- we lost Obsidian at 4pm today. We had a terrific last day with him and he will live on in our hearts and memories forever. Original postThe chapter of my life that includes my long-time constant companion, Obsidian, is nearing the end. Late last week, we noticed him slowing down; he…
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Crowdsourcing Science
In our increasingly connected world, field science is no longer strictly in the realm of graduate students in our University System. All across Montana it happens every day in empty lots, along stream banks, and on the trails traversing our hills and valleys. This collaborative movement is called community science- a partnership where people observe…