Flammulated Owls of Wood’s Gulch, Montana
The other night, Thomas Kallmeyer and I spent the evening along the ridges above Wood’s Gulch near Missoula. The object of our birding quest was the enigmatic Flammulated Owl. Starting shortly after 10 o’clock, the first male began giving his territorial hoot with its distinctive double-tap intro. This first calling owl was high (<50 feet) […]
Owls of the World – Hey, It’s Owling Season
I have been on an absolute owl tear lately. I have found and photographed Northern Pygmy Owl and Great Gray Owl along the Bitterroot River. I accompanied owl researcher Denver Holt on one of his owl trapping/banding field days where I got up close and personal with a Long-eared Owl. All of these experiences have serviced to […]
Northern Saw-whet Owl banding with ORI and Five Valleys Audubon
Every autumn, a massive migration goes largely unseen. It follows the river corridors and through the adjacent riparian habitats. Hundreds of birds pass by my home during the ever darkening nights. Waves of Northern Saw-whet Owls head southward as the lean times of winter near. One of the rivers that they utilize is the Bitterroot River that […]
My little secret Short-eared Owl spot
We all have our own secret little birding spots, those nooks of habitats that we find so magically. One of my spots is a little dirt road on the north side of the Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge. So many times I have crept along this road as the dust settles from one of the occasional […]