Great Horned Owl…

A couple of months ago in the evening we would hear the hooting of an owl, so we decided to go on a little walk toward the sound and low and behold we found her…_Z3A3476_Z3A3467_Z3A3528_Z3A3587_Z3A3691-Edit

 

It seemed each evening she would end up in the same tree…_Z3A2844_Z3A2853_Z3A2854

 

Then we noticed an old nest a couple of trees down.  A couple of weeks ago I decided to look for her again and found her IN the nest and last week see what I spotted…_Z3A2293_Z3A2269_Z3A2253_Z3A2257

 

A fuzzy, wuzzy little owlet!!

 

Cool Facts

  • Great Horned Owls are fierce predators that can take large prey, including raptors such as Ospreys, Peregrine Falcons, Prairie Falcons, and other owls. They also eat much smaller items such as rodents, frogs, and scorpions.
  • When clenched, a Great Horned Owl’s strong talons require a force of 28 pounds to open. The owls use this deadly grip to sever the spine of large prey.
  • If you hear an agitated group of cawing American Crows, they may be mobbing a Great Horned Owl. Crows may gather from near and far and harass the owl for hours. The crows have good reason, because the Great Horned Owl is their most dangerous predator.
  • Even though the female Great Horned Owl is larger than her mate, the male has a larger voice box and a deeper voice. Pairs often call together, with audible differences in pitch.
  • Great Horned Owls are covered in extremely soft feathers that insulate them against the cold winter weather and help them fly very quietly in pursuit of prey. Their short, wide wings allow them to maneuver among the trees of the forest.
  • Great Horned Owls have large eyes, pupils that open widely in the dark, and retinas containing many rod cells for excellent night vision. Their eyes don’t move in their sockets, but they can swivel their heads more than 180 degrees to look in any direction. They also have sensitive hearing, thanks in part to facial disc feathers that direct sound waves to their ears.
  • The oldest Great Horned Owl on record was at least 28 years old when it was found in Ohio in 2005.

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Sharp-tailed Grouse…

Sunday morning my husband and myself, along with some friends arose at 4:30 am to be at a Sharp-tailed Grouse lek an hour before sunrise…

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Arriving an hour before sunrise with stars still in the sky and a start to a beautiful day…

People wishing to view sharpies dancing must arrive at the lek an hour before sunrise in order not to disturb the grouse.

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Beautiful sunrise on the lek…

The mating routine of Sharp-tailed Grouse involves males displaying communally at a traditional site (one used year after year). This site is known as a “lek.” Males compete for mates by performing a ritualized dance in conjunction with calling (often a booming sound) and inflating purplish air sacs along their necks. Females approach the edge of the lek, observe and eventually select a dance participant to mate with.

Male grouse hold territories on the lek with the dominant male usually claiming the most central position. The central male also normally mates with the most females. In general, a male’s success at attracting females is highly correlated with his position on the lek. This leads to relatively few males siring most of the young.

Above information from here…

Here are just a few pictures from that morning…

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By the Light of the Moon…

We have had so many cloudy nights this entire winter, I was starting to wonder what a star filled sky looked like.  On Friday we had one of our first clear nights so we headed up to Glacier…_Z3A6701

Star Trails…IMG_7475

 

Big Dipper over Lake McDonald…

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Clear night, clear water…IMG_7474

 

Belton Bridge lit up by the moon…IMG_7494

 

The view from the bridge…IMG_7502

 

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Spring Arrival of Mountain Bluebirds…

The Mountain Bluebirds have arrived and with it so has spring!  On Sunday after church the kids along with their father built some bluebird boxes to put up around the farm.  Hopefully they will help entice more bluebirds to nest and hang around for the summer… _Z3A7907

 

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Their finished boxes!

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Snowshoeing in Glacier…

Seems like forever since I have been on here!  Life is just crazy busy but going well here.  It seems like winter has been oh, so very long this year.  Perhaps it because it’s because we haven’t seen the sun in what seems like forever.  No big dips in temperature, which has been great for the seep and other outside animals.

Last weekend the sun finally came out, so we took the boys and Emma up to the Park to do some snowshoeing…

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Reflection on Lake McDonald…

As you can see, part of Lake McDonald was glass smooth and the mountains reflected beautifully…

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Where the road is closed off for the winter and people are allowed to snowshoe and cross country ski…IMG_0113IMG_0107IMG_0106

 

Walking down the trail with their snowshoes…

 

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Dad helping put on snowshoes…

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Hayden running with his…

 

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The little group of snowshoers…

 

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Wore out…

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The little girl and her daddy…

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Running Fast…

 

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Sled Ride…

 

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At our destination…

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The walk back out…

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Meeting a cross country skier…

 

 

IMG_0116IMG_0162IMG_0075IMG_0054-EditIMG_0182Sunset that evening…

 

Beautiful way to spend a day…

Happy Winter Solstice

It’s been so very busy  lately that I haven’t had much time to update my blog.  We received about a foot of new snow last night, so this morning Markus and I headed out to take some snow pictures.  We found these Bison and thought they were beautiful wearing their snow coats…_Z3A6029-2_Z3A6070-2_Z3A6081-2

Aurora Borealis Dancing Across the Sky…

On the early morning of November 3, the sky came to life and the aurora borealis danced across the sky…IMG_3470

First hints of the northern lights…IMG_3484

Then they sprang to life!  We could even see color with the naked eye…IMG_3508 IMG_3523-2

The above picture I even caught a meteor from the beginnings of the Taurid shower…IMG_3505-2 IMG_3542 IMG_3532

Still dancing as I headed inside for the night, outside the bedroom window…IMG_3544

Northern Harrier…

We watched this Northern Harrier several times making our way through Mormon Row in the mornings.  She would swoop and dive crazily after her prey and flew unlike any other hawk we have seen…IMG_0020 IMG_0021

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Cool Facts

  • Northern Harriers are the most owl-like of hawks (though they’re not related to owls). They rely on hearing as well as vision to capture prey. The disk-shaped face looks and functions much like an owl’s, with stiff facial feathers helping to direct sound to the ears.
  • Juvenile males have pale greenish-yellow eyes, while juvenile females have dark chocolate brown eyes. The eye color of both sexes changes gradually to lemon yellow by the time they reach adulthood.
  • Male Northern Harriers can have as many as five mates at once, though most have only one or two. The male provides most of the food for his mates and their offspring, while the females incubate the eggs and brood the chicks.
  • Northern Harriers hunt mostly small mammals and small birds, but they are capable of taking bigger prey like rabbits and ducks. They sometimes subdue larger animals by drowning them.
  • Northern Harrier fossils dating from 11,000 to 40,000 years ago have been unearthed in northern Mexico.
  • The oldest Northern Harrier on record was 15 years, 4 months old when it was captured and released in 2001 by a bird bander in Quebec.
  • For more information, please visit here…

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