Category: HelenaOutdoors
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Spring Migration is Starting to Trickle In
A week into the month, we’ve only managed two days of quality birding, but we already have nine species logged. Mountain Bluebirds often show up in February, so I tend not to use them as a reliable indicator of the shift. Nevertheless, we saw our first Mountain Bluebird yesterday along the Missouri River. On rare…
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A Simple Question
I had a lovely conversation a couple of weeks ago where a simple question stopped me in my tracks: “What do you think your 7-year-old self would think of your life now?” It didn’t take me long to answer. I think that kid would be amazed. “Whoa, wait! You go out and look at flowers, rocks,…
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Four Owl February!
I’ve been taking Obi to the Tenmile every morning at about 7am since late January. I’ve been hoping to hear, or see, a Great Horned Owl. I know from previous experience that they could be in that area, and since I had seen three species of owls, I became a little obsessed with adding a…
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Superb Owl Weekend 2026
A superb owl weekend it was, indeed! Last evening two daughters, the Lab, and I went into the hills a bit to listen for a Northern Saw Whet Owl that had been heard by a few other folks in the last week or so. So, as the darkness descended, we found ourselves walking up the Mini-Ridge…
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Helena Birding Spots
Whether you’re a seasoned “lister” or just starting your birding journey, the Helena Valley is a wonderful place for avian enthusiasts. To get you started, I’ve rounded up six accessible hotspots where you can hone your skills. Before you head out, keep in mind that certain “everyday companions” like Magpies, Ravens, Robins, and Mallards are…
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The Value of Helena’s Wildland-Urban Interface as a Recreational and Economic Asset
I’ve been resting my partially torn Achilles tendon for the last few weeks, so my recent gentle trail walk on the Ambrose trail was a welcome return. I noticed that there has been a lot of new work mitigating fire risk from the middle to western terminus of the Ambrose; soon that work will include slash pile burning…
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Equinox Effort- 2025
Spring Awakening: A Birding Blitz Around Central MontanaThe vernal equinox arrived, heralding the official start of spring, and we celebrated in the best way we know how: with a whirlwind birding adventure! Our goal? To identify 55 bird species across two days of exploration in a month not known for a lot of species depth.…
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February in the Rearview
February may be the shortest month, but holy cheese does it have some long weeks. Helena had nine days with winds above 20mph (33kph); and two of those days had gusts above 40mph (65kph). Sixteen days were below 0 (-17c). My home area received at least 20 inches (50cm) of snow. And we were cloudier…
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A bit brutal, maybe?
February has been brutal. We are 17 days into the month and the average temp has been 4.8ºf. Let’s round it up and just say 5ºf (-15ºc). Last year’s average for Feb was 29ºf (-2ºc). Our low this year (so far) has been -18ºf (-28ºc). Eleven days left of Feb this year. If we’re going…
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Mount Ascension
The views from the top of Mount Ascension, or Mount Helena for that matter, rarely disappoint.