Tag Archives: Montana

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.

Linking up with Friends at…

Wild Bird Wednesday

The BIRD D’pot

 

Advertisement

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…

_Z3A0240-Pano

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.

IMG_0197

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…

_Z3A0496_Z3A0533_Z3A0543_Z3A0544_Z3A0606_Z3A0748_Z3A0777_Z3A0782_Z3A0787_Z3A0811_Z3A0832_Z3A0835

 

Linking up with Friends at…

Wild Bird Wednesday

The BIRD D’pot

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…

_Z3A6730

 

Clear night, clear water…IMG_7474

 

Belton Bridge lit up by the moon…IMG_7494

 

The view from the bridge…IMG_7502

 

Linking up with…

Friendship Friday

Water World Wednesday

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

Rain!

Saturday night we received a bit of rain and awoke to smoke-free skies.  Sunday afternoon we took a drive to through Glacier Park.

IMG_4888

Watching the storm clouds roll-in on Avalanche Creek…

IMG_4910

Clouds rolling across the valley on Going-to-the-Sun Road…

IMG_4924

IMG_4939 IMG_4942 IMG_4952 IMG_4955 IMG_5037IMG_4970

Soot from the Reynolds Creek Fire, running off in the rain onto some red rocks..

IMG_4985

A quick rainbow over St. Mary’s Lake…IMG_5000

A black bear crossing the road in Many Glacier in the rain…

IMG_5008-Edit

We ended up enjoying our day in the rain. Normally, we would have been a bit bummed to spend the day in the rain but with the wildland fires and evacuations going on, smokey suffocating skies and how badly we need the rain this year, it really was a great day.  Kind of funny how a different perspective on things can change an attitude.  Skies have been without smoke all week, even though we still have the majority of the fires burning and we are suppose to be getting more rain, maybe even some snow in higher elevations throughout the weekend.  🙂

Going for a Dip…

Wood Ducks are one my favorites!  I was so excited when we spotted this guy…IMG_5808 IMG_5810 IMG_5811 IMG_5812 IMG_5816 IMG_5822 IMG_5823 IMG_5824

Cool Facts

  • Natural cavities for nesting are scarce, and the Wood Duck readily uses nest boxes provided for it. If nest boxes are placed too close together, many females lay eggs in the nests of other females.
  • The Wood Duck nests in trees near water, sometimes directly over water, but other times over a mile away. After hatching, the ducklings jump down from the nest tree and make their way to water. The mother calls them to her, but does not help them in any way. The ducklings may jump from heights of over 50 feet without injury.
  • Wood Ducks pair up in January, and most birds arriving at the breeding grounds in the spring are already paired. The Wood Duck is the only North American duck that regularly produces two broods in one year.
  • For more information please visit here…

IMG_5698 IMG_5700

Linking up with Friends at…

Wild Bird Wednesday

The BIRD D’pot

Smokey Skies…

With fires surrounding us in NW Montana our days and nights are filled with smoke.  Smoke so thick you can’t see the mountains, hills or even neighbors houses at times.  The kids have been cooped up inside because of air quality alerts because of the smoke like the following…

  • Air Quality Alert

    Air Quality Alert in effect until Sunday, 12:00 PM MDT. Source: U.S. National Weather Service

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality has issued an Air
Quality Alert for Deer Lodge, Granite, Flathead, Lake, Lincoln,
Powell, Mineral, Missoula, Ravalli, Sanders, and Silver Bow in
effect *UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE*.

An Air Quality Alert means that particulates have been trending
upwards and that an exceedance of the 24 hour National Ambient Air
Quality Standard (NAAQS) has occurred or may occur in the near
future.

Particulate levels from local and regional wildfires are Unhealthy
to Very Unhealthy across all of western Montana.

When air quality levels are Very Unhealthy… the Montana
Department of Health and Human Services recommends that people
with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly and children should
avoid any outdoor activity. Everyone else should avoid prolonged
exertion.

When air quality levels are Unhealthy… the Montana Department of
Health and Human Services recommends that people with respiratory or
heart disease, the elderly and children should avoid prolonged
exertion. Everyone else should limit prolonged exertion.

For more information… visit the Montana Department of Environmental
Quality at http://www.todaysair.mt.gov.

We all have soar throats, coughs, sneezing, headaches, etc from the smoke.  It’s been quite depressing and even claustrophobic in being in this blanket of smoke.  While we are not directly in the paths of fire ourselves, there have been several mandatory evacuations in some the towns in NW Montana due to the wildfires getting close to homes and towns.

I have always tried to find the beauty in each day and lately it seems to be hard to find as everything is dried up, dead and smoke filled… but it’s still there if you look for it…

Red sun…

IMG_4510 IMG_4506 IMG_4499 IMG_4491 IMG_4487

Red Moon…

IMG_4060

Pray for rain and the safety of our wildland firefighters (my brother is one!)

Linking up with friends at:

Skywatch Friday

Weekly Top Shot #173