Author Archives: Dottie Moon

The Motivation. I believe that whenever I publish a blog I will see an owl, so after we came back from Pennsylvania I posted about the Common Grackle. The next day I was all Yay! We’re gonna see an owl! We drove to Tower Street, I hopped out and started walking the trail. Where areContinue reading “The Owl At Seventh Street”

Quiscalus quiscula A gang of grackles: We went to Pennsylvania a few weeks ago to see my family, while I was there, I really wanted to see the Common Grackle. On our fifth day I had just plopped down with a book on the couch when a large flock of black birds descended on theContinue reading “Common Grackle”

On Wednesday, January 11, 2023, I went birding with Lucy, Papa, and Tyler at Maclay Flat. Only 2 seconds after exiting the car, all of us were staring at a northern pygmy-owl that had posted up on a small conifer next to the entrance of the trails. After about thirty pictures or so, we movedContinue reading “Northern Pygmy-Owls at Maclay Flat”

Through December, Lucy and I have been using watercolors to paint birds. Most of the supplies that we used were given to us by the Montana Natural History Centers’ annual nature journaling class. Although a combination of our paintings are included, I wrote all the captions. I hope you enjoy them! The Tufted Puffin (FraterculaContinue reading “Happy New Year!”

The red-breasted nuthatch was the most curious and the first to feed from the suet. To learn more about the importance of the number of ‘dees’ in the chickadees call, the science article Allometry of Alarm Calls by my friend Erick Greene, Kate Davis, and Chris Templeton is a great place to start. Of theContinue reading “Feeder Field Notes of December”

Welcome back readers! I’m going to tell you about deer fat suet feeders and how we make them, tips, warnings and more. We made these feeders because we are a family who tries to limit their waste. Using deer fat, we make candles and lotion with a byproduct that usually goes to the landfill. ButContinue reading “Limit Our Waste and Help The Birds”

What exactly is a parasite? Well, parasites are animals that live off of other living animals. Brood parasites, though, place their eggs in other animals’ nests. But why do birds parasitise? In my opinion it’s because they’re the lazy, good-for-nothing parents of the bird world. The real reason is that it lessens the chance theirContinue reading “The Laziest Parents in the Bird World”

Piranga ludoviciana Male and Female Western Tanager, photographed by me ________________________________________________________________________________________ The 2nd most colorful tanager in the U.S.! The Western Tanager goes from its breeding grounds in the U.S. and Canada, to its wintering grounds in Mexico and Central America. We have tanagers at our cabin up rock creek every summer. I once saidContinue reading “Western Tanager”

We haven’t been to Oregon in 2 years! When we used to go I was interested in whales. Now that I am interested in birds it’s a whole new perspective of Oregon. My interest in birds brought us to completely new places, like Oregon Islands, Bandon Marsh, and Nestucca Bay NWRs.  My camera The bestContinue reading “Our Oregon Trip In a New Perspective”

Birds are returning to Montana! I am super excited that all the warblers will be here soon! The goldfinches and wood ducks have grown their new colorful feathers and the hummingbirds will be zooming around the place. The owl babies will hatch! Some birds have already reached their breeding grounds and we have seen thoseContinue reading “Birds Are Returning!”